National Mall Washington DC Orb Group 2002

On July 16, 2002, Metropolitan Police Department officers, US Capitol Police, and Secret Service personnel on duty in the National Mall area of Washington DC reported a formation of luminous orbs performing maneuvers at approximately 3,000 feet over the Mall. The National Mall in Washington DC is among the most restricted airspace in the world — overlying the Capitol Building, White House, and multiple national monuments. Reagan National Airport ATC received reports from commercial pilots in the area. The simultaneous reports from multiple law enforcement agencies in different positions around the Mall, combined with independent pilot reports to ATC, provided strong multi-source corroboration. The encounter occurred over the core of the US government's ceremonial center — the airspace where any unidentified craft represents the highest possible security threat. All agencies filed standard incident reports through their respective chains. The 2002 Mall case is considered one of the most strategically sensitive locations of any UAP observation in US history.