USS Theodore Roosevelt CSG — East Coast encounters and Navy hazard reports (2013–2015; 2019 related)

Case

Overview

Repeated Navy aviator reports and official aviation hazard reports during East Coast training, including Roosevelt CSG-associated 2014–15 accounts. Stratton’s memoir separately describes an alleged Dec 13, 2014 close-pass between two aircraft flown by John Hartley and Sam Lopez; specific identities, date and details not independently verified.

Investigative phases

2013–14 F/A-18 hazard reports; alleged Dec 13 2014 Hartley/Lopez event (Stratton memoir); 2015 GIMBAL and GOFAST recordings (separate evidence/case entries); 2019 EA-18G report; later testimony

Reported phenomena

Unidentified airborne objects; reported near misses; radar/visual/infrared observations; alleged close pass between two aircraft on 2014-12-13

Public evidence status

Official Navy hazard forms and released videos exist for the broader period; no original flight records or direct independent Hartley/Lopez testimony established for the specific Dec 13 account.

Alternative explanations / caveats

Do not equate the memoir account with authenticated Navy records or assume it is the publicly reported cube-in-sphere near miss. Range/sensor ambiguity, ordinary objects and chronology require event-level review.

Next research tasks

Locate Stratton exact page and wording; verify Hartley/Lopez names, ranks and 2014 assignments; seek flight logs, safety reports, eyewitness statements; map GIMBAL and GOFAST separately (CASE-023).

Last reviewed

2026-11-02

Assessment

Not yet in the Case Assessment Matrix.

Evidence (16)

• Seven F/A-18E/F hazard reports in W-72 Documented
  CE-031 · 2013–2014 · Navy hazard reports via FOIA
  Gaps: Aircraft/object identification varies by report
• EA-18G Growler hazard report in W-386 Documented
  CE-032 · 2019 · Navy hazard report via FOIA
  Gaps: Single report does not imply exotic craft
• Ryan Graves testimony about 2014 detections and reported near miss Documented
  CE-033 · 2023-07-26 · Congressional testimony
  Gaps: Graves not eyewitness to cube-in-sphere near miss
• AARO GOFAST case speed reassessment (2015 context) Reported
  CE-034 · 2025-02-06 · Official analysis
  Gaps: Does not resolve all East Coast reports
• Stratton memoir reportedly describes unidentified object passing between aircraft piloted by John Hartley and Sam Lopez Unverified
  CE-100 · 2014-12-13 · Retrospective published account (reader-reported)
  Gaps: May or may not match other reported Roosevelt near misses; flight geometry, identity and object not established
• Ryan Graves testimony on East Coast UAP encounters and pilot safety Claim unverified
  E046 · 2023-07-26 · Sworn testimony
• Oversaw AARO investigations, technical assessments and reporting CorroboratedAnalysis
  E073 · 2022–2026 · Institutional / published research
• Sean Kirkpatrick directed AARO and oversaw government UAP investigations and public assessments Claim unverifiedSecondhand
  E092 · 2022–2023 · Official program and technical assessment
• Reported close-pass encounter between two Navy aircraft (Hartley/Lopez) UnverifiedSecondhand
  E115 · 2014-12-13 · Memoir-attributed eyewitness claim
• Reported close-pass encounter between two Navy aircraft (Lopez/Hartley) UnverifiedSecondhand
  E116 · 2014-12-13 · Memoir-attributed eyewitness claim
• At a briefing with Stratton, Feddersen reportedly said FAA had no dedicated UAP logging process for pilots and deferred to NORAD or DoD UnverifiedFirsthand
  E124 · Date not established · Retrospective attributed briefing account
• Graves testified about recurring military aviation UAP encounters and reporting/safety Corroborated
  E159 · 2023-07-26 · Congressional testimony
• Gallaudet recalls receiving classified Navy safety-of-flight email with GOFAST video and says email later disappeared UnverifiedFirsthand
  E-GAL-2015 · 2015-01 · Firsthand retrospective testimony
• Gallaudet recalls classified Fleet Forces Command safety-of-flight email with F/A-18 video later identified by him as GOFAST ReportedFirsthand
  E-GAL-MEM-2015 · 2015-01; memoir 2026 · Retrospective firsthand witness account
• Gallaudet reports email and video absent the next day; infers SAP-controlled removal UnverifiedFirsthand
  E-GAL-MEM-EMAIL · 2015-01; memoir 2026 · Firsthand observation + interpretive inference
• Ryan Graves establishes ASA to encourage pilot reporting and reduce UAP stigma CorroboratedSecondhand
  E-ASA-STIGMA · 2023 onward · Organization mission / public advocacy

Documents gathered (16 lines of evidence)

6 readable here · 6 with a linked primary record · 4 still need a document · All cases on the evidence map

• Seven F/A-18E/F hazard reports in W-72 Primary record linked
  CE-031 · Here are the Navy pilot reports from encounters off the East Coast
• EA-18G Growler hazard report in W-386 Primary record linked
  CE-032 · Here are the Navy pilot reports from encounters off the East Coast
• Ryan Graves testimony about 2014 detections and reported near miss Readable here
  CE-033 · Ryan Graves written testimony (read here)
• AARO GOFAST case speed reassessment (2015 context) Readable here
  CE-034 · GoFast Case Resolution (read here)
• Stratton memoir reportedly describes unidentified object passing between aircraft piloted by John Hartley and Sam Lopez Cited, no copy
  CE-100 · Out of the Shadows (December 13, 2014 Roosevelt account)
  Why it's still open: Verify exact passage/page; seek firsthand interviews, Navy mishap/safety records and logs. Chunk M search (2026-11-12): Out of the Shadows was published 13 Oct 2026; no review or reporting found that independently confirms this passage, and no hosted Navy, FAA or congressional record names it. The only 'Hartley' in hosted text is an unrelated 1950s FBI clipping; no hosted record names Hartley or Lopez for 2014. The East Coast hazard reports and Graves's testimony are on CE-031 and CE-033. Flag stays.
• Ryan Graves testimony on East Coast UAP encounters and pilot safety Primary record linked
  E046 · UAP: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency
• Oversaw AARO investigations, technical assessments and reporting Primary record linked
  E073 · All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
• Sean Kirkpatrick directed AARO and oversaw government UAP investigations and public assessments Primary record linked
  E092 · All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
• Reported close-pass encounter between two Navy aircraft (Hartley/Lopez) No document yet
  E115 · No document gathered yet
  Why it's still open: Verify names/ranks and page in Stratton book. Chunk M search (2026-11-12): Out of the Shadows was published 13 Oct 2026; no review or reporting found that independently confirms this passage, and no hosted Navy, FAA or congressional record names it. No hosted record names Hartley or Lopez. Flag stays.
• Reported close-pass encounter between two Navy aircraft (Lopez/Hartley) No document yet
  E116 · No document gathered yet
  Why it's still open: Verify names/ranks and page in Stratton book. Chunk M search (2026-11-12): Out of the Shadows was published 13 Oct 2026; no review or reporting found that independently confirms this passage, and no hosted Navy, FAA or congressional record names it. No hosted record names Hartley or Lopez. Flag stays.
• At a briefing with Stratton, Feddersen reportedly said FAA had no dedicated UAP logging process for pilots and deferred to NORAD or DoD Cited, no copy
  E124 · Out of the Shadows — Brett Feddersen FAA/NORAD/DoD pilot reporting discussion
  Why it's still open: Source SRC-239; do not infer this briefing was part of CSG-9. Chunk M search (2026-11-12): Out of the Shadows was published 13 Oct 2026; no review or reporting found that independently confirms this passage, and no hosted Navy, FAA or congressional record names it. Feddersen's July 2025 House written testimony (on this site) is about counter-drone policy and mentions the FAA only on drone registration, not a Stratton briefing or UAP logging. Flag stays.
• Graves testified about recurring military aviation UAP encounters and reporting/safety Readable here
  E159 · July 26, 2023 UAP hearing transcript (read here)
• Gallaudet recalls receiving classified Navy safety-of-flight email with GOFAST video and says email later disappeared Readable here
  E-GAL-2015 · Tim Gallaudet written statement, UAP: Exposing the Truth (read here)
• Gallaudet recalls classified Fleet Forces Command safety-of-flight email with F/A-18 video later identified by him as GOFAST Readable here
  E-GAL-MEM-2015 · November 13, 2024 UAP hearing transcript (read here); Tim Gallaudet written statement, UAP: Exposing the Truth (read here); Holding Fast in Heavy Seas: Leadership for Turbulent Times
• Gallaudet reports email and video absent the next day; infers SAP-controlled removal Readable here
  E-GAL-MEM-EMAIL · November 13, 2024 UAP hearing transcript (read here); Holding Fast in Heavy Seas: Leadership for Turbulent Times
• Ryan Graves establishes ASA to encourage pilot reporting and reduce UAP stigma Primary record linked
  E-ASA-STIGMA · Americans for Safe Aerospace — official website

On the timeline (13)

• 2013–2014 Seven Navy F/A-18E/F hazard reports off East Coast Documented
  FOIA-released official safety reports
• 2014 Ryan Graves describes recurring upgraded-radar detections Reported
  Firsthand sensor testimony; reports of colleagues distinguished
• 2015-01 GOFAST East Coast Navy video recorded (related context) Reported
  AARO later found no anomalous speed
• 2015-01 Gallaudet later testifies he received safety-of-flight email with GOFAST footage; email subsequently unavailable Unverified
  Firsthand retrospective account; email and deletion mechanism not independently verified
• 2017-12-16 New York Times publishes landmark Pentagon UAP program investigation Documented
  Documented publication; extraordinary claims require independent evidence
• 2019 EA-18G Growler hazard report off Maryland Documented
  Official FOIA-released hazard report
• 2020-05 Eight Navy East Coast hazard reports made public Documented
  Official documents via FOIA
• 2023-07-26 Ryan Graves testifies on East Coast pilot encounters Reported
  Firsthand radar experiences; near miss relayed from others
• 2023-07-26 Graves, Grusch and Fravor testify before House committee Alleged
  Firsthand pilot testimony alongside Grusch secondhand program allegations
• 2023-06-01 Ryan Graves launches Americans for Safe Aerospace to advance aviation safety and reduce UAP reporting stigma Reported
  Public organizational history; precise date should be checked against original launch notice
• 2024-11-13 Gallaudet testifies about Navy UAP reporting, AARO concerns and Mellon-reported 2017 satellite imagery Reported
  Firsthand and secondhand claims separated; testimony does not prove object origin
• 2025-02-06 AARO publishes GOFAST analysis Reported
  No anomalous speed found for that video
• 2026 Gallaudet identifies 2015 attached footage as GOFAST; describes missing email and stigma Unverified
  Direct memoir attribution; SAP-removal interpretation unverified