Narrative:

I observed an unknown target near birmingham, al, showing FL517, and watched the suspect aircraft track sebound for approximately 3 mins. My sector is from FL350 to upper limit of positive control area, FL600. I had a military flight of 2 fighters, call sign 'X' nearby, and asked the flight leader if he could see a contrail at this position. He replied that he could see a contrail, and had intermittent radar contact, showing FL500. My associate controller and I then noticed numerous other suspect targets in our airspace, at various altitudes, as low as FL443, for approximately 1 hour, until I was relieved for a break. My relief also noticed the same type of unknown targets several times on his watch. I asked my supervisor about this, and was told he knew nothing. I have frequently observed suspected military aircraft squawk identify only once, with unknown code on transponder at this sector but this is the first time they have continued to display code more than 1 or 2 'hits,' or 6-12 seconds. I asked the military flight 'X' if the target seemed to be the aircraft that has been mentioned so much recently in 'aerospace weekly and space digest' but he replied 'must be elvis.' if it was, would the military admit it?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL ACFT UNAUTH AIRSPACE ENTRY OPERATING IN PCA WITHOUT CLRNC. PLTDEV.

Narrative: I OBSERVED AN UNKNOWN TARGET NEAR BIRMINGHAM, AL, SHOWING FL517, AND WATCHED THE SUSPECT ACFT TRACK SEBOUND FOR APPROX 3 MINS. MY SECTOR IS FROM FL350 TO UPPER LIMIT OF PCA, FL600. I HAD A MIL FLT OF 2 FIGHTERS, CALL SIGN 'X' NEARBY, AND ASKED THE FLT LEADER IF HE COULD SEE A CONTRAIL AT THIS POS. HE REPLIED THAT HE COULD SEE A CONTRAIL, AND HAD INTERMITTENT RADAR CONTACT, SHOWING FL500. MY ASSOCIATE CTLR AND I THEN NOTICED NUMEROUS OTHER SUSPECT TARGETS IN OUR AIRSPACE, AT VARIOUS ALTS, AS LOW AS FL443, FOR APPROX 1 HR, UNTIL I WAS RELIEVED FOR A BREAK. MY RELIEF ALSO NOTICED THE SAME TYPE OF UNKNOWN TARGETS SEVERAL TIMES ON HIS WATCH. I ASKED MY SUPVR ABOUT THIS, AND WAS TOLD HE KNEW NOTHING. I HAVE FREQUENTLY OBSERVED SUSPECTED MIL ACFT SQUAWK IDENT ONLY ONCE, WITH UNKNOWN CODE ON XPONDER AT THIS SECTOR BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE CONTINUED TO DISPLAY CODE MORE THAN 1 OR 2 'HITS,' OR 6-12 SECONDS. I ASKED THE MIL FLT 'X' IF THE TARGET SEEMED TO BE THE ACFT THAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED SO MUCH RECENTLY IN 'AEROSPACE WEEKLY AND SPACE DIGEST' BUT HE REPLIED 'MUST BE ELVIS.' IF IT WAS, WOULD THE MIL ADMIT IT?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.