What happened
On 26 July 2023 a House Oversight subcommittee held a hearing titled 'Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency.' The star witness was David Grusch, an Air Force veteran and former intelligence officer who had represented the National Reconnaissance Office on the UAP Task Force from 2019 to 2021. Under oath he said he had been informed in his official duties of a decades-long UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program, and was denied access when he asked. Pressed by Representative Nancy Mace, he said non-human 'biologics' came with some recoveries, according to people with direct knowledge still on the program, and that he had interviewed 40 witnesses over four years. He said specifics could only be given in a secure facility. Retired Navy Commander David Fravor recounted his 2004 Tic Tac encounter, and former Navy pilot Ryan Graves described routine sightings off Virginia, including a dark cube inside a clear sphere that passed within 50 feet of two jets.
The original account
I was informed in the course of my official duties of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program to which I was denied access to those additional read-ons when I requested it.
Testimony of David Grusch, House Oversight subcommittee hearing, 26 July 2023 (official transcript, US government work)
The official explanation
A Pentagon spokesperson said Grusch's claims could not be substantiated, and NASA has said it has found no credible evidence of extraterrestrial life. AARO's March 2024 historical report concluded such claims stemmed from circular reporting among a small group of people. Scientists including Adam Frank and Seth Shostak noted that Grusch's account is secondhand and that no physical evidence has been presented publicly.
The anomalous case
Grusch is not an anonymous internet source. He held senior clearances, served on the official UAP Task Force, and told Congress he reported his findings to his superiors and multiple inspectors general before going public, saying he suffered retaliation for it. He testified under penalty of perjury that a crash retrieval program existed and that he was refused access to it. Journalist Leslie Kean reported that retired Army Colonel Karl Nell, who also served on the task force, called Grusch beyond reproach. Sitting beside him, two decorated Navy aviators described objects that outperformed their jets: Fravor's firsthand Tic Tac encounter, and the cube-in-a-sphere that Graves said came within 50 feet of jets from his squadron. Grusch said the documentary evidence exists and offered to provide it in a classified setting. Supporters argue the burden now lies with Congress to obtain it.
The strongest argument that this was something genuinely unknown or classified, with each claim attributed to the person who made it.
Documents
- Hearing transcript, Serial No. 118-53 (GovInfo) transcript, govinfo.gov
- Hearing page and witness testimonies official, oversight.house.gov
Sources
- Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Hearing transcript CHRG-118hhrg53022 U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo)
- David Grusch UFO whistleblower claims Wikipedia
Witness reports elsewhere
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