selected ufo cases
Witness Sketches
Betty and Barney Hill Abduction Case
September, 19, 1961 - Exeter, New Hampshire, United States
The first abduction case to be brought to the publics attention was back in 1961. Betty and Barney Hill reported seeing a UFO and experienced a period of missing time while on a long car journey. Under hypnosis they both seperatly described how they were abducted by aliens and shown around the spacecraft before under going medical examinations. Betty also spoke of the origin of the aliens which were of the zeta reticuli system but at that time it wasn't discovered until 1969. View full report
Source: Loy Lawhon, About.com ID: 315
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Abduction, Polygraph Test, Witness Photo, Witness Sketch, Portholes/Windows, Missing Time
Eagle River Close Encounter (man given 'pancakes' by UFO occupants)
April, 18, 1961 - Eagle River, Wisconsin, United States
Mr. Paul Simonton, a chicken farmer in Eagle River, Wisconsin saw a disc-shaped craft land vertically on his farm. A hatch opened, and when he approached he saw three human-looking men inside. They asked him for some water. They appeared to be cooking pancakes on a griddle, and in exchange for the water they gave him four of the pancakes from griddle. The episode survived a rigorous assessment by the U.S. Air Force and is carried in their files as "unexplained." View full report
Source: Jay Rath ID: 708
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Humanoid/Occupant, Landing, Artifact, Witness Photo, Witness Sketch, Communication
Saucer-shaped object with dome and two occupants inside
July, 13, 1959 - Blenheim, New Zealand
Mrs. Moreland saw a sharply- outlined saucer-shaped object with two extremely bright sources of green light on the underside. The object was approximately 20 to 30 feet wide and hovered at roof-top level, about 15 feet above the ground. Inside a transparent dome, she said, there were two men, "dressed in fairly close-fitting suits of shiny material." View full report
Source: NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomenon), ID: 559
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Humanoid/Occupant, 'Dyad Scout Craft', Humming, Witness Sketch
Father Gill / Papua New Guinea Sighting
June, 26, 1959 - Papua New Guinea
William B. Gill, an Anglican priest with a mission in Bosinai, Papas New Guinea, observed craft-like UFOs -- one with Humanoid figures on top -- on two consecutive evenings, June 26-27, 1959. About twenty-five natives, including teachers and medical technicians, also observed the phenomena. They "signaled" the humanoids and received an apparent response. This was one of sixty UFO sightings within a few weeks in the New Guinea area. View full report
Source: Bill Chalker, from 'The Oz Files' ID: 67
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Humanoid/Occupant, Interaction/Reaction, Clergy, Portholes/Windows, Group Sighting, Witness Sketch
UFO descends, then speeds away, near Walworth, Wisconsin
January, 8, 1959 - Walworth, Wisconsin, United States
Gordon Higgins, a draftsman who has had two years USAF experience as control tower operator and flight controller, watched a UFO descend and then speed away horizontally. The object glowed bright white, before changing to orange as it sped away, leaving a trail of sparks. View full report
Source: NICAP / Richard Hall (1964) ID: 642
Case Type: SummaryReport Features: Witness Sketch
Enormous daytime UFO above Welsh town seen by only one witness
1959 - Milford Haven, United Kingdom
Mr. D. J. Harris, an area insurance agent, was walking down Charles Street in Milford Haven at about 11.00 a.m. when suddenly he heard a sort of whispering sound, and a metallic grey object appeared above the buildings. He describes it as enormous, about 150 feet in diameter. Given that there are usually so many people around the area, we are really forced to the conclusion that no-one saw this UFO except the witness and that, in fact, it was visible only to him. View full report
Source: F. W. Holiday, FSR Vol. 20 No. 2 ID: 598
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Witness Sketch
Two patrolmen see glowing red UFO in New Jersey
December, 20, 1958 - Dunellen, New Jersey, United States
Patrolmen LeRoy A. Arboreen and B. Talada were on night patrol when they saw an object coming from the west. "At first it looked like a red hot piece of coal about the size of a quarter held at arm's length. In a matter of seconds it was as large as a ruler held at arm's length... The body of the object was solid bright red and it gave off a pulsating red glow... The object hovered a few seconds, then made a left turn and again hovered for a few seconds, then went straight up like a shot." View full report
Source: NICAP / Richard Hall (1964) from NICAP case report ID: 639
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Police, Witness Sketch
Sighting by zoologist and UFO researcher Ivan T. Sanderson
October, 2, 1958 - Near Blairstown, New Jersey, United States
Shortly after 5:00 p.m., noted Zoologist Ivan T. Sanderson observed a disc- shaped UFO maneuvering over the Delaware Water Gap. The flat disc looped back and forth, appearing sometimes edge-on (as a very thin line), sometimes oval to circular. It vanished once, but quickly reappeared, and continued its rapid gyrations, finally speeding away to the west. View full report
Source: NICAP / Richard Hall (1964) ID: 643
Case Type: SummaryReport Features: Scientist/Engineer, Witness Sketch
Strategic Air Command officers watch UFO with satellite objects
September, 8, 1958 - Offutt AFB, Omaha, Nebraska, United States
At SAC headquarters in 1958, a group of officers, airmen and missile engineers observed an elongated UFO with satellite objects for about 20 minutes. According to the report filed by Major Paul A. Duich, USAF (Ret.), "all except a few of the airmen were seasoned, veteran flyers or highly trained missile engineers. We concluded that what was seen by all was no conventional vehicle, nor was it an atmospheric phenomenon." View full report
Source: NICAP / Richard Hall (1964) from NICAP case file ID: 641
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Military, Group Sighting, Witness Sketch
Low hovering cylinder-shaped UFO with tube seen in Nashville, TN, 1956
1956 - Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Two eleven-year olds were playing when they heard a strange metallic sound. They looked around and saw a cylinder-shaped craft hovering very still a few feet above a tree. It was 20-25 feet in length. There was writing on the belly of the object, and a long silver tube which protruded from bottom. This tube was "sniffing" the leaves in the tree top. The witnesses watched the object for 3-4 minutes, too scared to move, before running home. View full report
Source: UFOEvidence.org ID: 767
Case Type: RawReport Features: Sound, Witness Sketch
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 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
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 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
The Villa Santina Case (two humanoids encountered by Italian artist)
August, 14, 1947 - Villa Santina, Italy
Italian artist R. L. Johannis was out painting when he noticed a 30 ft. disc-shaped object landing nearby. Next, Signor Johannis saw two child-sized beings standing alongside the object. The artist hailed the creatures. It is possible that this was interpreted as a hostile gesture, for one of the beings touched the centre of its belt and projected a thin vapour which caused the artist to fall dazed onto his back. The creatures approached, picked up the artist's easel, then returned to the craft. The object then rose, hovered, and disappeared. View full report
Source: Charles Bowen (ed.), The Humanoids, Flying Saucer Review Special Issue (1966) ID: 751
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Humanoid/Occupant, Landing, Witness Sketch
Roswell UFO Incident (Crash and Recovery)
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
