Background
On May 22, 1973, at around 11 p.m., the 327-foot U.S. Coast Guard cutter Spencer (WHEC-36) was patrolling the Atlantic as part of an ocean-station assignment. The weather was warm, and the sea was shallow. The ship was operating with all its navigation lights on.
What Was Seen
According to accounts from numerous crew members, both officers and enlisted personnel, bright lights appeared above the ship and rapidly changed color. Witnesses described an unidentified source of light hovering over the cutter. It moved in circles, stopped, spun, then seemed to burst into a small point before traveling in a straight line at high speed, including turns at 90-degree angles.
The report describes what looked like “windows” or openings in the object, giving it the appearance of an aircraft with viewing ports. One crew member, who had an Olympus camera with a telephoto lens, photographed the event. No images have been released, however; the equipment was taken from the crew after the incident.
The Crew’s Response and Intimidation
The sighting lasted about an hour. At the end of the shift, the crew returned to port at Governors Island, where they encountered “men in black”—police or security personnel who arrived to ask questions, demanded that crew members sign statements saying they had seen nothing, and warned them against speaking to the media. The crew was ordered not to disclose the information, and those with photographic equipment had to hand it over to their superiors.
Why the Story Is Interesting
The account includes several details that add to the mystery: a large group of witnesses (about 140 people), visual documentation, though none has been made public, and the lights’ rapid movements in open space without interference from weather conditions. The Coast Guard context—a military assignment—and the immediate response from security personnel add to the significance of the account.
Summary
The incident was recorded as an unverified eyewitness report. It reflects the crew’s fear of public exposure and recalls the unresolved questions surrounding unexplained aerial phenomena in the 1970s. No further information has emerged, and the report remains part of the NUFORC files.
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The account is based on the witness’s record, with no photographs available to the public, and should therefore be treated with caution.
