selected ufo cases
Cases by Decade: 1960s
UFO on Australian Beach (Vaucluse Beach)
July, 19, 1965 - Vaucluse Beach, Australia
Disc-shaped object glowed as it sat on a beach. As witness approached the object, the object lifted off from the ground, quickly climbed in the air, and disappeared. Investigation revealed landing traces and effects on the nearby plant life. View full report
Source: UFO Casebook ID: 27
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Physical Trace, Animal Reaction, Landing, Witness Sketch
Gemini 4 / Astronaut James McDivitt sighting of cylindrical object in space
June, 1965 -
In June 1965, Major James McDivitt saw, filmed, and photographed an object, which approached the Gemini IV (3rd June – 7th June 1965) capsule in which they were orbiting the Earth, passing over Hawaii. He stated: "It had a very definite shape - a cylindrical object - it was white - it had a long arm that stuck out on the side." View full report
Source: Patrick Gross, UFOs at Close Sight (ufologie.net) ID: 977
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Astronaut/Space
Planes chased by elliptical luminous object, EM effects over Japan
March, 21, 1965 - Himeji, Ieshima Islands, Japan
"Inaba was the captain of the Convair-240, with 28 passengers aboard, which encountered the oblong and luminescent object over the Ieshima Islands in the Seto Inland Sea at 7.06 p.m. on Thursday. Fearing a collision, Inaba turned the plane 60 degrees to the right, but the flying saucer made an abrupt turn and flew along with the plane for about three minutes." View full report
Source: Tokyo Japan Times, March 21, 1965 (UPI), Mainichi Daily News (Tokyo), March 22 ID: 628
Case Type: PressReport Features: E-M Effects, Pilot/Aircrew
James Flynn Florida Everglades Encounter
March, 12, 1965 - Everglades, Florida, United States
James Flynn was camping when he saw an object with a large cone-shaped structure hovering near the ground; it was some 75 feet wide and 25 feet high. As he approached the object a beam of light struck him in the forehead, knocking him unconscious and temporarily leaving him partially blinded. There were physical traces on trees and vegetation, and animal reactions from Flynn's dogs. View full report
Source: UFO Casebook ID: 23
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Physical Trace, Physiological Effects, Animal Reaction, Landing
Sid Padrick Contact Case
January, 30, 1965 - Watsonville, California, United States
Sid Padrick described seeing a disc-shaped craft, “like two real thick saucers inverted,” some 50 feet in diameter and 30 feet from the ground. Padrick claimed that he then began to cautiously walk toward the craft. A door appeared and Padrick walked inside, and soon was conversing with a very human appearing gentleman wearing some sort of flying suit. View full report
Source: Brent Raynes ID: 963
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Witness Sketch, Contact, Humanoid/Occupant
County councillor reveals sighting of dome-shaped UFO in Cornwall, UK
1965 - Karslake, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Joan Vincent, County and Restormel Borough Councillor, revealed that she and her husband Roy had observed a mystery craft late at night during 1965 in a then rural area. The matter remained "virtually a family secret" over the years because the couple feared that they would be ridiculed if they told their story. The UFO was "a large, dome-shaped object that looked as if it were made of glass," estimated to be 50-70 feet across and 30-40 feet high. View full report
Source: Ian Shepherd, Cornish Guardian (Bodmin, England), Nov. 26, 1998 ID: 729
Case Type: PressReport Features: Portholes/Windows, Witness Sketch, Witness Photo
Idaho 'Mining UFOs'
1965 - Spring Creek Ridge, Idaho, United States
Two men were camped on a bluff overlooking a valley. When they awoke in the early morning they noticed a shiny spot on the ore dump of a Spring Creek Mine across the valley. Using the scopes affixed to their rifles, they observed the "shiny object" which actually was one of four which were hovering over the ore dump. Protruding from the top of the objects were four hose-like devices which were inserted into the slag piles and were moving around. View full report
Source: APRO Bulletin, Vol. 22 No. 2 (Sept/Oct 1973) ID: 300
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Portholes/Windows, Multiple UFOs
Immense cone-shaped object crosses low over highway
December, 21, 1964 - Near Staunton, Virginia, United States
Horace Burns, a gunsmith in Harrisonburg, saw an immense cone-shaped object cross low over the highway ahead of him. "It was 125 feet in diameter, at least, and 80 to 90 feet high," he later reported. Its circular, sloping sides rose toward the top in six large, concentric convolutions that decreased in diameter and were surmounted by a dome. View full report
Source: NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomenon), ID: 553
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Landing, Physical Trace
Fragment of unidentified object lands in Kallavesi Lake, Finland
August, 1964 - Kallavesi Lake, Finland
Mr. Raimo Blomqvist was visiting with his parents at their summer cottage, when he suddenly noticed a strange, colourful light ball coming from the sky. The light came nearer and turned out to be an oval glowing object. While the object was hovering above the shallow water of the island he saw something falling from the object. Mr. Blomqvist recovered a 3-4 cm long piece of stone. View full report
Source: Finnish UFO Research Association ID: 826
Case Type: . Features: Artifact
Giant spinning top encountered by businessman
June, 29, 1964 - Near Lavonia, Georgia, United States
Businessman Beauford E. Parham was returning home late on the evening of June 29, 1964. "I spotted a very bright light in the sky . . . coming directly toward my car," the witness said in a letter to a NICAP member. "The next instance it was directly in front of my headlights spinning like a giant top. It was shaped like a top and made a hissing sound like a million snakes." View full report
Source: NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomenon), 'Strange Effects from UFOs', by Donald Keyhoe and Gordon Lore ID: 565
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Physiological Effects, Physical Trace, Vehicle Interference, Portholes/Windows
Close-range sighting of domed UFO
June, 15, 1964 - Lynn, Massachusetts, United States
A close-range sighting of a domed UFO occurred at Lynn, Massachusetts on the night of June 15. The object was shaped like a disc, oriented in a horizontal position, flat on the bottom and with a domed upper surface. When first noticed, the domed disc was approximately 12 feet above the pavement, so that it was seen against the wall of the building on the opposite side of the courtyard. View full report
Source: NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomenon), ID: 550
Case Type: StandardCase Features: E-M Effects
Strange-looking object hovers over neighborhood homes
June, 2, 1964 - Sunnyvale, California, United States
While driving toward her home on McKinley Avenue at 10:30 p.m. (PST) on June 2, Mrs. Bruce A. Holmes, of Sunnyvale, California, saw a strange-looking object about a city block's distance from her. The UFO hovered motionless over neighborhood homes at an altitude estimated to be no more than 150 feet and appeared to be about as large as "an 18 by 24-foot living room." The main body of the object was similar to a blimp, somewhat cigar-shaped, but fatter - possibly the shape of a disc thickened at the center. View full report
Source: NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomenon), ID: 549
Case Type: StandardCase
Cumberland Spaceman / Solway Firth Photograph
May, 23, 1964 - Burgh Marsh / Solway Firth, United Kingdom
"As an amateur photographer on a day-trip with my family, I took the photograph on Burgh Marsh on May 23, 1964. I took three pictures of my daughter Elizabeth in a similar pose - and was shocked when the middle picture came back from Kodak displaying what looks like a spaceman in the background." View full report
Source: Daily Mail, London / England - December 13, 2002 ID: 385
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Alien Photograph, Humanoid/Occupant, Witness Photo
Landed UFO frightens boy and cow; depressions left in field
May, 19, 1964 - Hubbard, Oregon, United States
Young Michael J. Bizon had gone outside his home in Hubbard, Oregon, to let the cow out of her stall. The cow seemed very nervous, and "was bucking all the way." Then he saw a square object about four feet high. The silver-colored UFO was sitting in the middle of a wheat field. It had four shiny legs. The object rose, slowly at first, and then "shot up just like a rocket." A flattened area with three spots was found in the wheat field. View full report
Source: NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomenon), 'Strange Effects from UFOs', by Donald Keyhoe and Gordon Lore ID: 579
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Physical Trace, Animal Reaction, Landing
UFO lands and leaves crater-like depression with holes
May, 5, 1964 - Barnesville, Minnesota, United States
Early on the morning of May 5, 1964, farmer Alfred Ernst, of Barnesville, Minnesota, drove his truck up to his grain drill, when at 8:00 AM he saw a 3 to 4 foot long UFO on the ground. "It was a glowing oval object approximately 1,500 feet away." Afterwards, the farmer and his brother returned to the landing site. There they discovered a crater-like depression about three feet in diameter. View full report
Source: NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomenon), 'Strange Effects from UFOs', by Donald Keyhoe and Gordon Lore ID: 573
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Physical Trace, Landing
Socorro / Zamora UFO Incident
April, 24, 1964 - Socorro, New Mexico, United States
The experience of Lonnie Zamora on April 24, 1964 stands as one of the most profound ufo events in the modern history of the phenomena. Lonnie Zamora saw a highly unusual device of unknown origin, what can only be described as a "craft" of some kind, and he reported seeing what he believes were occupants. View full report
Source: Chris Lambright ID: 90
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Humanoid/Occupant, Physical Trace, Landing, Police, Witness Photo, Witness Sketch
