State Department UAP Cable 002, Kazakhstan, January 31, 1994
This January 1994 State Department cable relays a flight crew’s report of a bright object maneuvering above a Boeing 747 over Kazakhstan. It preserves the crew’s descriptions, photographs, altitude estimate, and extraterrestrial interpretation as reported testimony rather than independent confirmation.
- File
- Document · Release 01
- Date
- Jan 27, 1994
- Location
- Kazakhstan
- Extent
- 3 pages
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Probed Assessment
Key takeaways
- On January 27, 1994, a Tajik pilot and three American citizens encountered an unidentified flying object while flying a 747 jet at 41,000 feet over Kazakhstan.
- The object was a bright light of enormous intensity, approaching from the east at a great speed and a much higher altitude.
- The object maneuvered in circles, corkscrews, and made 90-degree turns at rapid rates of speed.
Why it matters
State Department UAP Cable 2, Kazakhstan, January 31, 1994 is an officially released 3-page record with searchable page text, page-specific claim locators, dated events where supported, and document-level provenance.
Corroboration
The release establishes official provenance for State Department UAP Cable 2, Kazakhstan, January 31, 1994, but its reported observations, judgments, and interpretations remain source claims unless supported by independent records.
Open questions
- • Which companion records or contemporaneous sources, if any, independently corroborate the document’s key claims?
Probed separates this editorial assessment from the source claims below. It summarizes what the released artifact supports; it is not independent verification.
Official Description from War.gov
This document is a U.S. Department of State diplomatic cable from the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe, Tajikistan to the Secretary of State in Washington, D.C. on January 31, 1994. On January 27, 1994 one Tajik pilot and three American citizens encountered an UAP flying a 747 jet at 41,000 feet over Kazakhstan. Object was a bright light of enormous intensity and approached over the horizon to the east at great speed and a much higher altitude. Several pictures were taken of the craft making 90 degree turns, doing corkscrews and maneuvering in circles a great rates of speed. Object was reported as resembling a bullet in flight. Visual estimation of the contrails were at 100,000 feet, which was too high to leave contrails by ordinary aircraft.
Preserved verbatim as source metadata. This wording is separate from Probed’s file-specific description and assessment.
File Context
Related entities
Tracker findings
Kazakhstan cable: 747 crew reported UFO encounter
The released document states that on January 27, 1994, a Tajik pilot and three American citizens encountered an unidentified flying object while flying a 747 jet at 41,000 feet over Kazakhstan.
Object described as a bright light of enormous intensity
The released document states that the object was a bright light of enormous intensity, approaching from the east at a great speed and a much higher altitude.
Kazakhstan cable: the object maneuvered in circles, corkscrews, and made
The released document states that the object maneuvered in circles, corkscrews, and made 90-degree turns at rapid rates of speed.
Captain Rhodes took several photos of the object with a pocket Olympus camera
The released document states that captain Rhodes took several photos of the object with a pocket Olympus camera.
The contrails left by the object were estimated at approximately 100,000 feet
The released document states that the contrails left by the object were estimated at approximately 100,000 feet.
The object was described as resembling a bullet in flight
The released document states that the object was described as resembling a bullet in flight.
Rhodes and his crew believe the object was extraterrestrial and under intelligent control
The released document states that rhodes and his crew believe the object was extraterrestrial and under intelligent control.
Kazakhstan cable describes 40-minute object maneuvers
The OCR page states that observers watched an object for about forty minutes as it maneuvered in circles and corkscrews and made 90-degree turns at rapid speeds.
Release provenance
- Release
- Release 01
- Official ID
- release-01-file-153-state-department-uap-cable-002-kazakhstan-january-31-1994
- Cleared
- May 8, 2026
Referenced Timeline
Reported airborne encounter over Kazakhstan
The crew reported encountering the object while flying over Kazakhstan.
Crew report submitted
The Tajik Air chief pilot and three American pilots reported the encounter.
LinkedEd RhodesState Department cable sent
The Embassy cable is dated January 31, 1994.
LinkedU.S. Department of State
Source Claims
Claims are attributed to the released source and remain distinct from Probed’s assessment and tracker findings.
On January 27, 1994, a Tajik pilot and three American citizens encountered an unidentified flying object while flying a 747 jet at 41,000 feet over Kazakhstan.
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
The object was a bright light of enormous intensity, approaching from the east at a great speed and a much higher altitude.
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.
The object maneuvered in circles, corkscrews, and made 90-degree turns at rapid rates of speed.
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 of the object with a pocket Olympus camera.
CAPTAIN RHODES TOOK SEVERAL PHOTOS WITH A POCKET OLYMPUS CAMERA AND WILL SEND COPIES TO THE EMBASSY AND THE TAJIKISTAN DESK
The object was described as resembling a bullet in flight.
THEY DESCRIBED THE LIGHT IT EMITTED AS HAVING A 'BOW WAVE' AND AS RESEMBLING A HIGH-SPEED PHOTO OF A BULLET IN FLIGHT
The contrails left by the object were estimated at approximately 100,000 feet.
RHODES ESTIMATED THE ALTITUDE OF THE CONTRAILS AT APPROXIMATELY 100,000 FEET
There is too little air/moisture at 100,000 feet to enable the creation of contrails by ordinary aircraft.
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
Rhodes and his crew believe the object was extraterrestrial and under intelligent control.
RHODES EXPRESSED THE OPINION, WHICH HIS CREW SEEMED TO SUPPORT, THAT THE OBJECT WAS EXTRATERRESTRIAL AND UNDER INTELLIGENT CONTROL.
Source Material & Evidence
Research Map
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