Government or official record
Hawaii False Ballistic Missile Alert Investigation
Federal Communications Commission
Where this source supports the record
Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.
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Engineering failures · 13 January 2018Open article references →
The Hawaii False Missile Alert
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency warning area · United States
Why editors use it hereFederal findings on interface, employee belief, procedures, timeline, correction, and recommendations.
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Quick read
At 8:07 a.m.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Trigger and conditions
During a shift-change exercise, a supervisor played a recorded message that said 'exercise, exercise, exercise' but also 'this is not a drill.' One warning officer later said he believed the threat was real, while others recognized the test.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Uncertainty
The warning employee's belief is documented in federal and state investigations but cannot be independently measured; officials initially simplified the event as a wrong-button click.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Why it matters
The alert demonstrates that a warning system must be designed for both speed and reversibility.
Reviewed 26 July 2026
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Quick read