selected ufo cases
Military Cases
Mexican Air Force Pilots Film 11 UFOs
March, 2004 - Over Campeche state, Mexico
Mexican Air Force pilots filmed 11 unidentified flying objects in the skies over southern Campeche state in Mexico, a Mexican Defense Department spokesman confirmed. A videotape was made widely available to the news media. The lights were filmed using infrared equipment. They appeared to be flying at an altitude of about 3,500 meters (11,480 feet), and allegedly surrounded the Air Force jet. View full report
Source: Associated Press / Jaime Maussan ID: 263
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Radar, Military, Pilot/Aircrew, Photo, Multiple UFOs, Witness Photo
Disk-Shaped Object Photographed by Military Pilot in Hungary
September, 29, 2001 - Budapest, Hungary
"A military pilot recorded a spectacular video of a silver disk object on September 29, 2001. The craft was flying to his left side and then moved very fast past him in the clouds as can be seen in the video." View full report
Source: Kal Korff / Rense.com ID: 404
Case Type: PressReport Features: Photo, Military, Pilot/Aircrew
Chinese Air Force pilot chases 'mushroom-shaped' UFO
October, 19, 1998 - Changzhou, China
The [Chinese] air force had a prolonged up-close encounter with a UFO last month that one fighter pilot described as "just like ones in foreign movies," a government-controlled newspaper reported Thursday. At least 140 people on the ground also saw the object. They described an object with a mushroom-shaped dome on top and a flat bottom covered with bright, continually rotating lights. View full report
Source: AFP (Agence France Presse) - November, 1998 ID: 1074
Case Type: PressReport Features: Group Sighting, Pilot/Aircrew, Military, Radar, Body Lights
Large 'V'-Shaped UFO encounter with US Navy nuclear submarine; electromagnetic effects
October, 24, 1989 - Florida, United States
From the witness: "My ship was on patrol about 150 miles of the Florida coast. We were cruising at about 500 feet when the submarine started experiencing electronics problems.... I saw a large inverted V-shaped UFO off the port side....This huge vessel was over a half mile across. The UFO made a half circle around our ship then passed across the stern..." View full report
Source: George Filer (MUFON Eastern Director), Filer's Files #43-1998, 10-30-98 ID: 1110
Case Type: RawReport Features: Military, Water-Related, E-M Effects
Belgium Triangle UFO Sightings
October, 1989 - Belgium
From October 1989 throughout 1990, hundreds of reports of lighted objects, frequently described as enormous and triangular in shape were recorded in Belgium. Air Force supersonic F-16 jets chased these strange objects, which were simultaneously tracked by both airborne and ground radars. The Belgian Government cooperated fully with civilian UFO investigators, an action without precedent in the history of government involvement in this field. View full report
Source: Don Berliner ID: 1125
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Body Lights, Military, Mass Sighting, Witness Sketch, Radar, Police
UFO hovers over Russian military base near nuclear test site of Kapustin Yar
July, 28, 1989 - Kapustin Yar, Russian Federation
In 1989, at a military base near the nuclear test site of Kapustin Yar, members of two army units noticed a UFO which hovered for hours over the arsenal of the base. The KGB files contained the handwritten reports of the sighting. It flew over the stores of the unit and moved in the direction of the missile arsenal. When it hovered over the arsenal, a bright ray appeared on its underside. View full report
Source: Michael Hesemann, 1998 ID: 663
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Military, Nuclear Facility, Light Beam, Witness Sketch
Jet Chase Over Brazil
May, 19, 1986 - Brazil
As many as twenty UFOs were seen and tracked by ground radar and at least six airplanes. Unidentified radar returns were tracked by airports in São Paulo and the Integrated Air Defense & Air Traffic Control Center (CINDACTA) in Brasilia. Two F-5E and three Mirage jet fighters were scrambled from Santa Cruz AFB in Sao Paulo State, and Anápolis AFB in Goias State. View full report
Source: Don Berliner, UFO Briefing Document ID: 51
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Radar, Pilot/Aircrew, Military, Multiple UFOs
Unidentified maneuvering lights seen from US Navy ship; radiation detected afterwards
1986 - Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, United States
During one of my scans of the night sky, out of know where, four red circular lights appeared... The four lights, in a flash, darted towards the horizon amazingly fast... Then all four shot straight up into outer-space and out of sight, all within a split second... After a half hour had passed since the sighting, the radiation detection system on the bridge started making a loud clicking sound." View full report
Source: UFOCasebook.com (B. J. Booth, editor), citing MUFON CMS (Case Management System) ID: 1111
Case Type: RawReport Features: Military, Water-Related, E-M Effects, Silent
The Rendlesham Forest Incident
December, 26, 1980 - Rendlesham Forest, United Kingdom
What is widely considered Britain’s most extraordinary encounter took place between 26 and 28 December 1980. It involved at least a dozen civilians from villages surrounding Rendlesham Forest, a large pine wood in south east Suffolk eight miles from the large town of Ipswich. However, it also gained a high profile because of its military witnesses, part of a huge USAF contingent at the twin bases of RAF Bentwaters and Woodbridge located beside the forest. View full report
Source: Jenny Randles ID: 279
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Physical Trace, Physiological Effects, Military, Nuclear Facility, Witness Photo, Witness Sketch
Kirtland Air Force Base 1980 UFO Landing
August, 9, 1980 - Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
On the morning of August 9, 1980, several security guards at the Manzano Weapons Storage Area, adjacent to Kirtland AFB, saw a bright light descend in (a) restricted area. A fourth guard observed a disk shaped light in the vicinity of a bunker used to store nuclear weapons. The incident resulted in a report being filed with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) at Kirtland. View full report
Source: Francis Ridge, NICAP ID: 218
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Military, Nuclear Facility
US Air Force personnel witness 3 large oval shaped craft in Mojave desert
August, 1978 - Phelan, California, United States
"Myself and other witnesses were F4-Phantom Weapons Control Technicians in the USAF. First large oval rises up from directly behind mountains due east from me. Motion is slow, floating like a blimp or balloon. Second identical object then began to rise just to the left of the first object. Third identical looking object then began to rise just to right of first object." View full report
Source: UFOEvidence.org ID: 802
Case Type: RawReport Features: Military
Fort Dix / McGuire AFB Case
January, 18, 1978 - Fort Dix/McGuire AFB, New Jersey, United States
The primary eyewitness in the case, Jeffrey Morse, alleged (i) that he had been working as a security policeman at McGuire AFB when he was notified about UFO activity over Fort Dix army base. (ii) Morse alleged that he heard that a non-human entity had been shot and he later saw the dead body of the entity lying on the ground on a disused runway at McGuire AFB. View full report
Source: NIDS, National Institute for Discovery Science ID: 317
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Military, Humanoid/Occupant, Witness Sketch
Retired Chilean General in air encounter with large 'banana-shaped' UFO
1978 - Antofagasta, Chile
Retired General Hernan Gabrielli Rojas had squared off against a gigantic UFO while engaging in a training flight in the skies of northern Chile. According to the military man, the object was the size of 10 or 15 aircraft carriers, and its presence was picked up by the radars aboard two F-5 jet fighters as well as the Cerro Moreno airport in Antofagasta. View full report
Source: Inexplicata, Scott Corrales, editor / Ovnivisión (Chile) / Revista TOC / Terra Chile ID: 997
Case Type: PressReport Features: Military, Pilot/Aircrew, Witness Photo, Radar
Chilean soldier loses five days to UFO (The Valdes Case)
April, 25, 1977 - Pampa Lluscuma (near Putre), Chile
A Chilean soldier was in shock after a weird, five-day ordeal with a UFO. Six members of an army patrol saw two bright objects descending from the sky. Cpl. Armando Valdes, the patrol leader, set out alone to investigate and, according to the men, simply vanished. Fifteen minutes later, they said, he reappeared, tried to speak and passed out. The date on his watch had been advanced five days, and he now had about a week's growth of beard. View full report
Source: Associated Press / San Antonio News, May 23, 1977 ID: 460
Case Type: PressReport Features: Missing Time, Military
F-4 Jet Chase over Iran 1976
September, 18, 1976 - Tehran, Iran
One of the best documented UFO-aircraft incidents, when a UFO was observed flying over the restricted airspace of Tehran, Iran. Two U.S.-made F-4 Phantom II jet fighters of the Imperial Iranian Air Force were scrambled, but as the pilots closed in on the target, their communications and weapons systems were suddenly jammed. The incident was confirmed by high ranking officers of the Iranian Air Force and later documented by several agencies of the U.S. military. View full report
Source: Don Berliner, UFO Briefing Document: The Best Available Evidence ID: 200
Case Type: MajorCase Features: E-M Effects, Radar, Pilot/Aircrew, Military
Black sphere hovers near U.S. Naval Comm. Station at North West Cape, Australia
October, 25, 1973 - North-West Cape, Australia
According to official reports, at 7.30 p.m. Lieutenant Commander M, of the US Navy, observed 'a large black, airborne object' in the airspace over the important US intelligence base at North-West Cape. US Navy Fire Captain L had also seen the object. The object was about 10 metres in diameter and was about 300 metres above the ground. It was completely stationary except for a halo around its centre, which appeared to be either revolving or pulsating. View full report
Source: Bill Chalker (1996) ID: 629
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Military, Nuclear Facility
Coyne Helicopter Incident
October, 18, 1973 - Mansfield, Ohio, United States
The Coyne case (or "Army helicopter incident") stands out as, perhaps the most credible (in the "high strangeness" category) of the 1973 wave. An Army Reserve helicopter crew of four men encountered a gray, metallic-looking, cigar-shaped object, with unusual lights and maneuvers, as they were airborne between Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio. View full report
Source: Jennie Zeidman, CUFOS ID: 104
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Pilot/Aircrew, Military
Large disc with light beam follows car near Nowra, Australia
January, 1973 - Nowra, Australia
Elizabeth C was driving along the South Coast of NSW with four other people, when the group encountered a UFO which began to travel alongside the car. The object was large, disc-shaped, and there appeared to be a distinct 'searchlight' beam effect that rotated around its bottom. At least one of the witnesses was certain that figures could be seen in the windows of the object. After following the car for 24 km, the object seemed to suddenly relocate and headed out to sea. View full report
Source: Bill Chalker, (1996) ID: 625
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Humanoid/Occupant, Military, Portholes/Windows
The Isla De Lobos Case in Uruguay
October, 28, 1972 - Isla de Lobos, Uruguay
This is a single witness sighting, and yet it has become the best case coming from Uruguay due to the in-depth investigation done by the members of C.I.O.V.I. research group. The witness, Corporal Juan Fuentes saw a landed craft with three occupants at close range for time of about one minute. He attempted to shoot at the occupants but was stopped from doing so. The occupants entered the craft, and the craft rose up and flew away at high speed. View full report
Source: Dr. Willy Smith (UNICAT Project)/ C.I.O.V.I. ID: 887
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Humanoid/Occupant, Landing, Military
US aircraft carrier 'stopped' by large, glowing UFO; electromagnetic effects
1971 - Caribbean / Bermuda Triangle,
From the witness: "We heard someone yelling 'There is something hovering over the ship!'... As we looked up, we saw a large, glowing sphere.... It made no sound that I could hear. The light coming from it wasn't too bright, about half of what the sun would be. It sort of pulsated a little and was yellow to orange... Virtually all electronic components stopped functioning during the 20 minutes or so that [the UFO] hovered over the ship. " View full report
Source: Jim Kopf (credit: Rense.com) ID: 1075
Case Type: RawReport Features: E-M Effects, Silent, Military, Group Sighting, Water-Related
Military sighting of ball of opaque light started out small, grew to 5 times moon size
1970 - Ft. Gordon, Georgia, United States
Our company had fallen out for morning formation. we were waiting for the 1st seargent to join us when someone in our ranks started saying "what is that?" What I saw was an object that first appeared to be a full moon only larger by half than I had ever seen it. As I continued watching it, it steadily grew in size untill it was at least 5 times larger than I have ever seen the moon be. View full report
Source: UFO Evidence ID: 74
Case Type: RawReport Features: Military
Chilean Navy ship encounters large UFO; tracked on radar
October, 24, 1969 - Chile
The incident involved a Chilean Naval destroyer and was witnessed by crew members and the commander of the vessel. Up to six UFOs, including one large object, were observed. The objects were verified on radar and observed visually. As the main object moved over the ship, the vessel's power went out." View full report
Source: Bill Chalker ID: 1016
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Military, Water-Related, Radar, Multiple UFOs, Humming, E-M Effects, Body Lights, Group Sighting
Navy ship HMAS Hobart hit during Vietnam UFO encounter?
June, 15, 1968 - DMZ, Viet Nam
On Friday, 15 June 1968, Allied forward spotters along the eastern part of the Demilitarised Zone, a 9.6km wide strip separating North and South Vietnam, reported seeing about 30 strange slow-moving 'lights' in the night sky. View full report
Source: AUFORN Special Report, Issue 34, April 2003 ID: 60
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Military, Physical Trace
Russia UFO crash and recovery, 1968
March, 1968 - Berezovsky , Russian Federation
The details of a Russian UFO crash on or about 1969 are sketchy and somewhat suspect. This case comes from the so-called "Secret KGB Files," which were reportedly smuggled out of the former Soviet Union. Reportedly, $10,000 was paid for the information. The details of these secret files were first offered to the general public on 9-13-98 as part of a TNT special titled "The Secret UFO Files of the KGB." The show featured extraordinary film and still photographs of the UFO recovery, and also a portion of autopsy film on part of an alien body. View full report
Source: UFOCasebook.com (editor, B. J. Booth) ID: 1138
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Military, Crash/Retrieval, Alien Photograph, Photo, Humanoid/Occupant
