2023 Southeastern U.S. Metallic Oval
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Evidence quality · 6 components
Behavioral anomalousness · 4 components
TL;DR
Multiple witnesses in the Southeastern U.S. reported a bronze-metallic ellipsoid 130-195 feet in length that appeared to materialize and disappear instantaneously in September 2023, prompting an FBI field investigation and the production of a formal composite sketch - both released in PURSUE Release 1 as one of the first FBI UAP investigation files made publicly accessible without FOIA.
Confirmed
- ✓Multiple witnesses reported a metallic oval-shaped object in September 2023 in the Southeastern United States
- ✓FBI conducted a formal field investigation, including witness interviews and the production of a composite sketch
- ✓The composite sketch depicts a bronze-metallic ellipsoid approximately 130-195 feet in length described as 'materializing and disappearing instantaneously'
- ✓FBI documentation was released in PURSUE Release 1 on May 8, 2026
Unresolved
- ?Whether the object's reported 'instantaneous materialization and disappearance' reflects genuine anomalous behavior or a visual null-zone effect at treeline distance
- ?Why no radar, sensor, or photographic evidence was disclosed alongside the FBI composite sketch
- ?Whether this southeastern case and the contemporaneous Western U.S. orbs cases involve the same class of object, given their consistent bronze ellipsoid description
Strongest mundane explanation
The object was a large advanced drone or lighter-than-air platform with a metallic ellipsoid profile - consistent with some classified test programs - and the 'instantaneous disappearance' reflects the object moving behind the treeline in a visual null zone rather than true dematerialization, though the reported 130-195 foot size is above the threshold of any known commercial or publicly acknowledged military UAS, and the FBI's decision to conduct a formal field investigation implies the Bureau did not immediately resolve it as a known platform.
In September 2023, multiple witnesses in the Southeastern United States reported a metallic oval-shaped object with a bright light hovering above the treeline. The FBI investigated the incident, conducted witness interviews, and produced a composite sketch — describing the object as bronze-metallic, ellipsoid, and approximately 130 to 195 feet in length. Witnesses reported that the object appeared to materialize and disappear instantaneously. The FBI composite sketch and case documentation were released publicly via PURSUE Release 1 on May 8, 2026, making this one of the first FBI UAP field investigation files publicly accessible to researchers without a FOIA request.
Key Facts
- ›Multiple witnesses observed a metallic oval-shaped object with bright light hovering above the treeline in September 2023
- ›Location: Southeastern United States — precise coordinates not publicly disclosed by the FBI
- ›Object described as bronze-metallic, ellipsoid, approximately 130-195 feet in length
- ›Witnesses reported the object 'materialized and disappeared instantaneously' rather than departing on a conventional flight path
- ›FBI conducted a field investigation, witness interviews, and produced a formal composite sketch
- ›Composite sketch and case documentation released publicly via PURSUE Release 1, May 8, 2026
- ›One of the first FBI UAP field investigation files made publicly accessible without FOIA
- ›The case occurred contemporaneously with other FBI-documented UAP incidents in the Western U.S. (orbs) and at U.S. test sites
- ›No associated radar data or photographic evidence disclosed in the PURSUE release
- ›The 130-195 foot size estimate (if accurate) places the object between the wingspan of an F-22 Raptor (44 ft) and a Boeing 737 (117 ft) — significantly larger than any known commercial drone