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selected ufo cases

Cases with Multiple Witnesses

Circular object, appearing as a flaming ring, seen by architect

April, 26, 1954 - Newburyport, Massachusetts, United States

Russell M. Peirce, architect, reported a circular object which made a right-angle turn. "I was standing at the rear of the local High School building talking with two friends... Suddenly we all heard a very loud deep roar as of many motors... The object as I first saw it appeared as a flaming ring. The color was a little on the whitish tone but also had some suggestion of the orange-yellow of the common flame of burning wood, say."  View full report

Source: NICAP / Richard Hall, 1964 (from NICAP case file)   ID: 646
Case Type: StandardCase    Features:  Sound, Witness Sketch

The Flatwoods Monster Featured Case

September, 12, 1952 - Flatwoods, West Virginia, United States

Just before dark on September 12, 1952, at Flatwoods, WV, some young school boys saw a fiery UFO streak across the sky and apparently land on a nearby hilltop. Rushing to the site, and gathering a few others along the way, they saw a pulsating red light, encountered a nauseating mist, and turned a flashlight on a pair of shining eyes, revealing a huge creature. As it hissed and glided at them, the group panicked and fled. The next day investigators discovered skid marks and an oil-like substance that presumably came from the UFO.  View full report

Source: Subversive Element   ID: 535
Case Type: MajorCase    Features:  Humanoid/Occupant, Children, Animal Reaction, Physical Trace, Landing, Group Sighting, Witness Photo

The Nash-Fortenberry Sighting (aircraft encounter with formation of UFOs)

July, 14, 1952 - Virginia, United States

A Pan American World Airways DC-4 was on a routine flight from New York to Miami. The crew included Captain Koepke, First Officer William B. Nash and Second Officer William H. Fortenberry. Suddenly, they noticed six bright objects in echelon formation streaking toward them at tremendous speed. They had the fiery aspect of hot coals, but of much greater glow.  View full report

Source: Tom Tulien, Sign Historical Group   ID: 92
Case Type: MajorCase    Features:  Pilot/Aircrew, Witness Photo, Multiple UFOs

UFO with occupants encountered by former mayor in Hasselbach, Germany Featured Case

July, 9, 1952 - Hasselbach, Germany

Oscar Linke, former Wehrmacht major, and his daughter Gabrielle, 11, had to leave their motorcycle when they had a flat tire. Inside the woods the girl noticed two men in silvery suits examining the ground in a clearing near a pink disk-shaped object, 13-15 meters in diameter, showing a double row of openings around the rim and a black turret on top. One of the men had a flashing box. Both men went inside, and the disk vibrated, rose along the turretlike cylinder, then spun faster and rose out of sight.  View full report

Source: Kathimerini newspaper (Athens, Greece), 1952, found in declassfied CIA files   ID: 715
Case Type: StandardCase    Features:  Humanoid/Occupant, Landing, Portholes/Windows, Humming, Physical Trace

Canadian Naval Officer Has Close Encounter In Hawaiian Waters, 1952

May, 1952 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States

From the witness: "Suddenly one of these objects appeared at close range on our port bow at a low elevation. It was disc shaped and consisted of a very bright light with black windows running around the whole side which was visible to us. It maintained perfect station on us for at least fifteen minutes. I scanned the object with binoculars attempting to see into the windows but saw nothing."  View full report

Source: Gavin McLeod, UFO*BC, 3-6-98 (credit: Rense.com)   ID: 1078
Case Type: StandardCase    Features:  Portholes/Windows, Military, Silent, Water-Related

Several groups of UFOs fly over witnesses in Flint, Michigan

April, 20, 1952 - Flint, Michigan, United States

A naval aviation student, his wife, and several others were at a drive-in movie, during which time they saw several groups of objects fly over. There were from two to nine objects in a group and there were about 20 groups. The objects were shaped like conventional aircraft. The unaccountable feature of the objects was that each had a red glow surrounding it and was glowing itself, although it was a cloudless night.  View full report

Source: U.S. Air Force Project Blue Book Special Report #14 (Battelle Institute Study), 1955   ID: 671
Case Type: SummaryReport    Features:  Multiple UFOs, Group Sighting

F-86 intercepts and shoots at saucer-shaped UFO

1952 - United States

In the summer of 1952 a United States Air Force F-86 jet interceptor shot at a flying saucer. This fact, like so many others that make up the full flying saucer story has never before been told... The object was definitely round and flat saucer shaped. The pilot described it as being "like a doughnut without a hole."  View full report

Source: Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, 'The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects' (Credit: NICAP.org)   ID: 1024
Case Type: StandardCase    Features:  Pilot/Aircrew, Military, Radar

Cigar-shaped UFO over Mt. Kilimanjaro witnessed by pilot and passengers

February, 19, 1951 - Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

In 1951 a huge cigar-shaped UFO, which hovered over the famous Mt. Kilimanjaro, was photographed from an East African Airways plane flying in the vicinity, and witnessed by the crew and passengers. After remaining motionless for a considerable period of time, the object suddenly climbed steeply and disappeared. The movie film was developed and reportedly showed a clear and sizeable image of the object, according to the Natal Mercury.  View full report

Source: NICAP / Richard Hall, 1964 (citing Nairobi Sunday Post, Feb. 25, 1951)   ID: 648
Case Type: StandardCase    Features:  Pilot/Aircrew, Group Sighting

The Bethune / Gandor Air Encounter

February, 10, 1951 - Gandor, Newfoundland, Canada

US Naval Reserve Lieutenant Graham Bethune, copilot of Flight 125, first sighted a huge object [at least] 300 feet in diameter on a near collision course with their aircraft. "A rough estimate would be at least 300 feet in diameter, over 1,000 miles per hour in speed, and approached to within 5 miles of the aircraft."  View full report

Source: Disclosure Project / NICAP website / ufologien.net   ID: 980
Case Type: StandardCase    Features:  Pilot/Aircrew, Military, Radar, Witness Photo, Witness Sketch

Korean War battlefield UFO encounter; physiological effects

1951 - Chorwon, Korea, Republic

"We suddenly noticed on our right-hand side what appeared to be a jack-o-lantern come wafting down across the mountain... It had an orange glow in the beginning... But then this object approached us. And it turned a blue-green brilliant light... and then, we were attacked. We were swept by some form of a ray that was emitted in pulses... then I saw it shoot off at a 45 degree angle, that quick, just there and gone."  View full report

Source: John Timmerman, J. Allen Hynek Center For UFO Studies (credit: CNI News)   ID: 1076
Case Type: StandardCase    Features:  Military, Group Sighting, Light Beam, Physiological Effects, Sound

Airline pilots observe fast-moving, disc-shaped UFO over Arkansas

March, 20, 1950 - Stuttgart, Arkansas, United States

Chicago & Southern Airlines Capt. Jack Adams and First Officer G. W. Anderson, Jr., were flying a commercial DC-3, when they saw an object approaching the airliner at high speed. It appeared to be circular (disk-shaped), with a diameter of approximately 100 feet. The bottom side appeared to have 9 to 12 symmetrical oval or circular portholes. Capt. Adams estimated the speed to be in excess of 1000 mph.  View full report

Source: U.S. Air Force Project Blue Book Special Report #14 (Battelle Institute Study), 1955   ID: 677
Case Type: StandardCase    Features:  Pilot/Aircrew, Portholes/Windows, Witness Sketch, Witness Photo

The Farmington UFO Armada

March, 17, 1950 - Farmington, New Mexico, United States

"Fully half of this town's population still is certain today that it saw space ships or some strange aircraft -- hundreds of them zooming through the skies yesterday. Estimates of the number ranged from & quotes several to more that 500. The objects appeared to play tag high in the air. At times they streaked away at almost unbelievable speeds."  View full report

Source: Farmington Daily Times, March 18, 1950   ID: 880
Case Type: PressReport    Features:  Multiple UFOs, Group Sighting, Mass Sighting

CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite's UFO Encounter in the South Pacific (1950's)

1950 - 

In the 1950s Cronkite was part of a pool of news reporters brought out to a small South Pacific island to watch the test of a new Air Force missile... a large disc-type UFO appeared on the scene. Cronkite guessed that the object was about 50-60 feet in diameter, a dull grey color and had no visible means of propulsion. As Air Force guards ran toward the UFO with their dogs, the disc hovered about 30 feet off of the ground."  View full report

Source: Bill Knell, UFO researcher   ID: 1178
Case Type: StandardCase    Features:  Military, Witness Photo, Famous Person

Employees of aeronautical laboratory see metallic, disc-shaped object

May, 24, 1949 - Rogue River, Oregon, United States

An employee in the supersonic laboratory of an aeronautical laboratory and some other employees of this lab, were by a river, 2-1/2 miles from its mouth, when they saw an object. The time was about 1700 hours on May 24, 1949. The object was reflecting sunlight when observed by naked eye. It was of metallic construction and was seen with good enough resolution to show that the skin was dirty.  View full report

Source: Dr. Bruce Maccabee / U.S. Air Force Project Blue Book Special Report 14 (Battelle Study), 1955   ID: 728
Case Type: StandardCase

Maneuvering elliptical UFO seen by trained observers at White Sands Proving Ground

April, 24, 1949 - White Sands Proving Ground , New Mexico, United States

"The object was an ellipsoid about 2-1/2 times as long as it was wide. It had a length of about .02 degrees subtended angle and was gleaming white in color. It did not have metallic or reflected shine. Toward the underside near the tail, the gleaming white became a light yellow. The object was seen under conditions of a cloudless sky and no haze. It left no vapor trail or exhaust.  View full report

Source: Richard Hall, The UFO Evidence, 1964 (NICAP - National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomenon)   ID: 1095
Case Type: StandardCase    Features:  Military, Sound, Group Sighting, Scientist/Engineer

The Gorman Dogfight

October, 1, 1948 - Fargo, North Dakota, United States

On the evening of October 1st, 1948, Lieutenant Gorman was returning from a cross-country flight with his squadron of North Dakota Air National Guard, when he saw an unidentified light source. He closed to within about l,000 yards to take a good look, later saying, “It was about six to eight inches in diameter, clear white, and completely round without fuzz at the edges." For 27 hair-raising minutes, Gorman pursued the light through a series of intricate maneuvers.  View full report

Source: North Dakota Public Radio, Dec. 10. 2003   ID: 704
Case Type: MajorCase    Features:  Pilot/Aircrew

Electrician and wife in Indianapolis see domed disc shaped object

July, 31, 1948 - Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Vernon Swigert, an electrician, was standing by the bathroom window of his home when he first sighted an object. He ran to his kitchen where he pointed out the cymbal shaped or domed disc object to his wife. It was about 20 ft across, and 6-8 ft thick. Total time in sight was approximately 10 seconds, during which the object flew on a straight and level course from horizon to horizon, west to east.  View full report

Source: U.S. Air Force Project Blue Book Special Report #14 (Battelle Institute Study), 1955   ID: 675
Case Type: SummaryReport

The Chiles-Whitted Case

July, 24, 1948 - Montgomery, Alabama, United States

Another one of the famous airline sightings of earlier years is the Chiles-Whitted Eastern Airlines case. An Eastern DC-3, en route from Houston to Atlanta, was flying at an altitude of about 5,000 ft.. near Montgomery. ...The object was some kind of vehicle. They saw no wings or empennage, but both were struck by a pair of rows of windows or some apparent openings from which there came a bright glow "like burning magnesium."  View full report

Source: Dr. James E. McDonald, U.S. House Hearings, 1968   ID: 116
Case Type: MajorCase    Features:  Pilot/Aircrew, Witness Sketch, Portholes/Windows

Disc Zooms Down Snake River Canyon, Idaho

August, 13, 1947 - Snake River Canyon, Idaho, United States

A farmer and his two sons, were at his fishing camp on August 13, 1947. He noticed an object some 300 feet away, 75 feet above the ground. It was edge hopping, following the contour of the ground, was sky blue, about 20 feet in diameter and 10 feet thick, and had pods on the side from which flames were shooting out. It made a swishing sound.  View full report

Source: Twin Falls Times News, (Twin Falls, Idaho) August 15th, 1947   ID: 415
Case Type: PressReport

United Airlines Flight 105 pilots witness formation of disc-shaped objects

July, 4, 1947 - Emmet, Idaho, United States

On the evening of July 4th at Boise, Idaho, Captain Smith was walking up the ramp to board his plane, flight 105, for a trip to Seattle when someone mentioned the massive wave of saucers taking place all day over the northwest. Captain Smith joked: "I'll believe in those discs when I see them." Shortly after takeoff five disc-like objects, one larger than the rest, approached Captain Smith's DC-3 head on.  View full report

Source: James McDonald, Statement to US Congressional Hearings/UFO Symposium, 1968   ID: 723
Case Type: StandardCase    Features:  Interaction/Reaction, Pilot/Aircrew, Witness Photo, Multiple UFOs

Roswell UFO Incident (Crash and Recovery) Featured Case

July, 3, 1947 - Roswell, New Mexico, United States

In early July 1947 an incident occurred in the desert just outside of Roswell, NM. Many people have heard of the Roswell UFO crash, but very few people know the details of the incident. The following account of the 1947 UFO incident was taken from public records, from information provided by the International UFO Museum and from the press release for UFO Encounter 1997.  View full report

Source: Roswell Online   ID: 1134
Case Type: MajorCase    Features:  Crash/Retrieval, Humanoid/Occupant, Military, Witness Sketch, Witness Photo

New Mexico UFO Crash Encounter In 1945 Featured Case

August, 16, 1945 - San Antonio, New Mexico, United States

Reme Baca and Jose Padilla were young boys living in San Antonio, New Mexico in August 1945 when, they say, they literally stumbled across the remains of what they believe to have been an alien spacecraft. Their personal account of the case displays many of the key ingredients of crashed UFO lore.  View full report

Source: Ben Moffett, The Mountain Mail, Socorro NM, Nov. 2, 2003   ID: 852
Case Type: StandardCase    Features:  Crash/Retrieval, Humanoid/Occupant, Children, Witness Photo

The 1942 'Battle of Los Angeles'

February, 25, 1942 - Los Angeles, California, United States

Imagine a visiting spacecraft from another world, or dimension, hovering over a panicked and blacked-out LA in the middle of the night just weeks after Pearl Harbor at the height of WWII fear and paranoia. Imagine how this huge ship, assumed to be some unknown Japanese aircraft, was then attacked as it hung, nearly stationary, over Culver City and Santa Monica by dozens of Army anti-aircraft batteries in full view of hundreds of thousands of residents. Imagine all of that and you have an idea of what was the Battle of Los Angeles.  View full report

Source: Jeff Rense, Rense.com   ID: 509
Case Type: MajorCase    Features:  Photo, Mass Sighting

1933 UFO stops for repairs in Sasketchwan, Canada

1933 - Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada

Witnesses saw "a large oval shaped object that was domed at the top and slightly rounded on the bottom. It was supported by legs and from a central door- way, or hatch, about a dozen figures could be seen going up and down a ladder-like stairway. The Occupants appeared to be slightly shorter than the average man, and were all dressed in what appeared to be silver colored suits or uniforms. All appeared to be wearing helmets or ski caps, and all were busy running around ""repairing,, the craft. "  View full report

Source: John Brent Musgrave (FSR Vol 22 # 6 1976)   ID: 1143
Case Type: StandardCase    Features:  Humanoid/Occupant, Physical Trace
Cases per page:  8   16   24