Lieutenant Commander Alex Dietrich
Lieutenant Commander Alex Dietrich
F/A-18F Pilot, VFA-41 "Black Aces"
United States Navy (Retired)
Wingman Witness, 2004 USS Nimitz UAP Encounter
Lieutenant Commander Alex Dietrich is a retired United States Navy fighter pilot who served with Strike Fighter Squadron 41 (VFA-41), the "Black Aces." On November 14, 2004, she was flying as Commander David Fravor's wingman when they were vectored to investigate radar contacts off the coast of San Diego. Dietrich was one of four naval aviators (two pilots and two weapons systems officers) who observed the unidentified object during the encounter.
Dietrich has stated that she observed a white, oblong object hovering over a disturbance in the water. She watched as Fravor descended to investigate and reported seeing the object mirror Fravor's movements before accelerating out of visual range at extraordinary speed. As the wingman maintaining altitude, Dietrich had a different vantage point than Fravor, observing the interaction from above.
Dietrich came forward publicly in May 2021 as part of the CBS 60 Minutes segment on Navy UAP encounters, becoming the first female military pilot to publicly describe a UAP sighting of this significance. She has also given an extended interview to the American Veterans Center discussing her naval career and the 2004 encounter.
On-Record Interviews
Lieutenant Commander Dietrich interviewed alongside Commander Fravor for CBS 60 Minutes in May 2021. Bill Whitaker reporting. First public interview where Dietrich described her observations of the Nimitz encounter.
Extended interview with the American Veterans Center covering Dietrich's naval career, becoming a fighter pilot, and detailed account of the 2004 USS Nimitz encounter from her perspective as wingman.
On-Record Statements
"I consider myself a pretty rational person, and it still bothers me that I have no idea what I saw that day."
American Veterans Center interview
"I remember looking down at it and seeing it react to Dave's movements. It was mirroring what he was doing."
CBS 60 Minutes, May 2021
"We're not crazy. We saw something. And what we saw was real."
CBS 60 Minutes, May 2021
Significance as Witness
Dietrich's testimony provides independent corroboration of Fravor's account from a different vantage point. While Fravor descended to engage the object, Dietrich maintained altitude as wingman, giving her an aerial view of the interaction between Fravor's aircraft and the unidentified object. Her observations of the object's reactive movement and subsequent acceleration align with Fravor's account while offering a distinct perspective.
As a female fighter pilot (a demographic comprising less than 5% of Navy fighter pilots), Dietrich's decision to speak publicly also represented a significant personal and professional risk. Her willingness to go on record alongside Fravor added credibility to the account and demonstrated that the stigma around UAP reporting was not deterring credentialed military witnesses from speaking out.