Data Specification
Standard classification systems for categorizing incidents.
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|
incidentType | IncidentType | Yes | Primary incident type |
secondaryTypes | IncidentType[] | No | Secondary incident types |
locationSensitivity | LocationSensitivity | No | Location sensitivity level |
hynekClassification | HynekClassification | No | Hynek system classification |
valleeClassification | ValleeClassification | No | Vallee system classification |
aaroCategory | string | No | AARO categorization |
bluebookClassification | string | No | Project Blue Book classification |
unknownProbability | number | No | Estimated probability this is unknown (0-1) |
tags | string[] | No | Tags for searchability |
keywords | string[] | No | Keywords |
interface ClassificationData {
incidentType: IncidentType;
secondaryTypes?: IncidentType[];
locationSensitivity?: LocationSensitivity;
hynekClassification?: HynekClassification;
valleeClassification?: ValleeClassification;
aaroCategory?: string;
bluebookClassification?: string;
unknownProbability?: number;
tags?: string[];
keywords?: string[];
}
| Value | Color | Description |
|---|
critical | Red | Nuclear facilities, strategic C2, weapons storage |
high | Orange | Major military bases, intelligence facilities |
moderate | Yellow | Active military installations, restricted airspace |
standard | Blue | Civilian airports, government facilities |
none | Gray | No special sensitivity / not applicable |
| Value | Description |
|---|
sighting | Visual observation only |
encounter | Close encounter/interaction |
incursion | Unauthorized airspace entry |
near_miss | Near collision with aircraft |
pursuit | Object was pursued |
intercept | Intercept was attempted |
landing | Object landed |
crash | Object crashed |
retrieval | Materials were retrieved |
abduction | Abduction reported |
contact | Contact reported |
physiological | Caused physiological effects |
equipment_interference | Affected equipment |
transmedium | Air-water transition observed |
historical | Historical event from archives |
other | Other |
unknown | Unknown |
The J. Allen Hynek classification system, developed in the 1970s:
| Value | Alternate | Code | Description |
|---|
nocturnal_light | nl | NL | Nocturnal Lights - Lights in the night sky |
daylight_disc | dd, nd | DD | Daylight Discs - Objects seen in daylight |
radar_visual | rv, rd | RV | Radar-Visual - Radar + visual confirmation |
| Value | Code | Description |
|---|
ce1 | CE1 | Close Encounter 1st Kind - Within 500ft, no interaction |
ce2 | CE2 | Close Encounter 2nd Kind - Physical effects on environment/witness |
ce3 | CE3 | Close Encounter 3rd Kind - Occupants/entities observed |
ce4 | CE4 | Close Encounter 4th Kind - Abduction (added later) |
ce5 | CE5 | Close Encounter 5th Kind - Bilateral communication (added later) |
unknown | — | Unknown classification |
Both short (nl, dd, rv) and long (nocturnal_light, daylight_disc, radar_visual) values are accepted.
The Jacques Vallee classification system, focusing on behavior and effects:
| Value | Description |
|---|
an1 | Unusual light/phenomenon, no lasting effects |
an2 | Physical effects (crop circles, etc.) |
an3 | Entities observed without craft |
an4 | Witness interaction with entities |
an5 | Witness injury or healing |
| Value | Description |
|---|
fb1 | Object passes, no interaction |
fb2 | Physical effects from passing |
fb3 | Entities observed during fly-by |
fb4 | Witness interaction |
fb5 | Witness injury or healing |
| Value | Description |
|---|
ma1 | Object maneuvers, no interaction |
ma2 | Physical effects from maneuvering |
ma3 | Entities observed |
ma4 | Witness interaction |
ma5 | Witness injury or healing |
| Value | Description |
|---|
ce1 | Close encounter, no interaction |
ce2 | Physical effects |
ce3 | Entities observed |
ce4 | Witness taken (abduction) |
ce5 | Witness injury, healing, or death |
unknown | Unknown classification |
The Hynek and Vallee systems complement each other:
- Hynek focuses on distance and visual characteristics
- Vallee focuses on effects and interaction level
An incident can be classified in both:
{
"classification": {
"incidentType": "encounter",
"secondaryTypes": ["equipment_interference"],
"locationSensitivity": "high",
"hynekClassification": "ce2",
"valleeClassification": "ma2",
"tags": ["military", "radar-confirmed", "multiple-witness"]
}
}
Free-form tags for additional categorization:
military - Military involvementradar-confirmed - Radar confirmationmultiple-witness - Multiple witnessesphysical-evidence - Physical evidence existsofficial-investigation - Officially investigateddeclassified - From declassified documentshistorical - Historical caserecurring-location - Recurring hotspottransmedium - Air-water transitionformation - Multiple objects in formation
{
"classification": {
"incidentType": "incursion",
"secondaryTypes": ["near_miss", "equipment_interference"],
"locationSensitivity": "critical",
"hynekClassification": "rv",
"valleeClassification": "ma1",
"aaroCategory": "Category 1",
"unknownProbability": 0.85,
"tags": [
"military",
"radar-confirmed",
"multiple-witness",
"official-investigation",
"us-navy"
],
"keywords": ["tic-tac", "nimitz", "2004"]
}
}
- Always set incidentType - Primary classification required
- Use secondaryTypes - Capture multiple incident aspects
- Set locationSensitivity - Important for research context
- Use Hynek for research - Widely recognized system
- Use Vallee for effects - Captures interaction level
- Tag generously - Helps with filtering and search
- Include keywords - Additional searchable terms