chunks: UNCLASSIFIED

CSP-2025-00040



"UNCLASSIFIED"

3/2/2026

# UNCLASSIFIED



MRN: 94 DUSHANBE 259
Date/DTG: Jan 31, 1994 / 310000Z Jan 94
From: AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
Action: WASHDC, SECSTATE ROUTINE; MOSCOW, AMEMBASSY ROUTINE
E.O.: Unknown
TAGS: TSPA, EAIR, KZ, TI, TAJIK AIR, (RHODES, ED)
Reference: n/a
Subject: TAJIK AIR PILOTS REPORT UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 01 DUSHAN 00259 310310Z
ACTION OES-09

INFO LOG-00 AID-01 AMAD-01 OASY-00 DOTE-00 EAP-01 EB-01
EUR-01 FAAE-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 ADS-00 NSAE-00 SSO-00

SNIS-00 NISC-02 /016W

1FA298 310310Z /38

R 310258Z JAN 94
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2150
INFO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
AMEMBASSY ALMATY
AMEMBASSY BEIJING
AMEMBASSY BISHKEK
CIA WASHDC 0224
DIA WASHDC 0232

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 00259

DEPARTMENT FOR OES/S

E.O. 12356: N/A

TAGS: TSAP, EAIR, TI

SUBJECT: TAJIK AIR PILOTS REPORT UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT

1. TAJIK AIR CHIEF PILOT, AMCIT ED RHODES, AND HIS TWO AMERICAN PILOT COLLEAGUES REPORTED JANUARY 29 THAT, ON JANUARY 27, THEY HAD ENCOUNTERED A UFO WHILE FLYING AT 41,000 FEET IN THEIR BOEING UNCLASSIFIED

Released in Full
John Powers, Acting-Director
US Department of State
2/25/2026

UNCLASSIFIED

Page 1 of 3

UNCLASSIFIED

CSP-2025-00040



"UNCLASSIFIED"

3/2/2026

## UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 DUSHAN 00259 310310Z
747SP AT LAT 45 NORTH AND LONG 55 EAST, OVER KAZAKHSTAN. THEY
FIRST ENCOUNTERED THE OBJECT AS A BRIGHT LIGHT OF ENORMOUS
INTENSITY, APPROACHING THEM FROM OVER THE HORIZON TO THE EAST AT
A GREAT RATE OF SPEED AND AT A MUCH HIGHER ALTITUDE THAN THEIR
OWN. THEY WATCHED THE OBJECT FOR SOME FORTY MINUTES AS IT
MANEUVERED IN CIRCLES, CORKSCREWS AND MADE 90-DEGREE TURNS AT
RAPID RATES OF SPEED AND UNDER VERY HIGH G'S. CAPTAIN RHODES
TOOK SEVERAL PHOTOS WITH A POCKET OLYMPUS CAMERA AND WILL SEND
COPIES TO THE EMBASSY AND THE TAJIKISTAN DESK (LOWRY TAYLOR) IN
THE DEPARTMENT, IF THEY COME OUT. AFTER SOME TIME, THE OBJECT
ADOPTED A HORIZONTAL HIGH-SPEED COURSE AND DISAPPEARED OVER THE
HORIZON.

2. AS IT WAS DARK WHEN THE OBJECT WAS OBSERVED, THE CREW WERE UNABLE TO DISCERN ITS SHAPE. THEY DESCRIBED THE LIGHT IT EMITTED AS HAVING A "BOW WAVE" AND AS RESEMBLING A HIGH-SPEED PHOTO OF A BULLET IN FLIGHT, IN WHICH A VERY SMALL OBJECT GIVES OFF A MUCH LARGER TRAILING WAVE OF HEAT/LIGHT. SOME FORTY-FIVE MINUTES AFTER THE INITIAL SIGHTING, AS THE SUN WAS RISING, THE AIRCRAFT FLEW UNDER THE CONTRAILS WHICH THE OBJECT HAD LEFT BEHIND. THE PLANE WAS MAKING OVER 500 KNOTS. RHODES ESTIMATED THE ALTITUDE OF THE CONTRAILS AT APPROXIMATELY 100,000 FEET, NOTING THAT THERE IS TOO LITTLE AIR/MOISTURE AT THAT EXTREME ALTITUDE TO ENABLE THE CREATION OF CONTRAILS BY THE PROPULSION MECHANISMS OF ORDINARY AIRCRAFT WHICH MIGHT BE ABLE TO REACH THAT HEIGHT. THE PATHS OF THE CONTRAILS REFLECTED THE MANEUVERS OF THE OBJECT, I.E., CIRCLES, CORKSCREWS, ETC.

3. TO OUR SUGGESTION THAT THE OBJECT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A METEOR ENTERING AND SKIPPING OFF THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE, RHODES AND HIS CREW WERE ADAMANT THAT THEY HAD SEEN THOUSANDS OF "FALLING STARS" UNCLASSIFIED

## UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 DUSHAN 00259 310310Z
AND OTHER SPACE JUNK ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE IN THEIR YEARS OF
FLYING PASSENGER AIRCRAFT FOR PANAM. THIS, THEY INSISTED, WAS
NOTHING LIKE A METEOR. ON THE BASIS OF ITS SPEED AND
MANEUVERABILITY, RHODES EXPRESSED THE OPINION, WHICH HIS CREW
SEEMED TO SUPPORT, THAT THE OBJECT WAS EXTRATERRESTRIAL AND UNDER
INTELLIGENT CONTROL.

4. COMMENT: WE HAVE NO OPINION AND REPORT THE ABOVE FOR WHAT IT MAY BE WORTH.

ESCUDERO

## UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Page 2 of 3

UNCLASSIFIED

CSP-2025-00040



"UNCLASSIFIED"

3/2/2026

NNNN

Dissemination Rule:

Archive Copy

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Page 3 of 3