selected ufo cases
Cases with Multiple Witnesses
Reinhold Messner, famous mountain climber, sees moon-sized object while climbing in Himalayas
1981 - Katmandu, Nepal
Italian Reinhold Messner, one of the world's foremost mountaineers, said Friday he watched a UFO "the size of a full moon" for nearly three hours while climbing in the Himalayas. On his return to Katmandu after an unsuccessful attempt on 24,248-foot Mount Chamlang, he said he spotted the UFO as it drifted south into Nepal from Tibet over the mighty snowcapped mountains. View full report
Source: News World (New York) / United Press International, Oct. 10, 1981 ID: 942
Case Type: PressReport Features: Famous Person
The Cash-Landrum Case
December, 29, 1980 - Huffman, Texas, United States
A terrifying encounter with a flame belching UFO on a lonely road near Huffman, Texas, resulted in appalling injuries for the three innocent victims. According to Bob Pratt, "the case remains one of the most important in the history of ufology. It has never been resolved. Someone in the U.S. knows exactly what happened to Betty and Vickie and Colby but they have remained silent despite all the suffering - and ridicule - those three endured." View full report
Source: NICAP ID: 86
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Physiological Effects, Injury
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
Vedder River UFO
August, 1980 - Vedder River, British Columbia, Canada
Cynthia and her family were driving home from a camping trip... A large, round, dark object moving to the right hand side of the car suddenly interrupted their pleasant drive. It appeared to be a disc, with a “shiny, metallic surface…" View full report
Source: Richard Tortorella and Martin Jasek - September 2002 (Credit: UFO*BC) ID: 349
Case Type: StandardCase
UFO Shoots Beam at Four Boys
1980 - Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada
"A UFO moved silently out from the right just above the tree line. Its speed was approximately 5 miles an hour, its size, 50 feet diameter. The UFO stopped directly in the middle of the gravel road approximately 20 feet forward and about 50 feet up. When it stopped a blue beam shot out of the craft directly between the 4 of us." View full report
Source: UFO*BC ID: 345
Case Type: RawReport Features: Children
Large object with lights photographed by police officer, seen by hundreds
1980 - Levittown, Puerto Rico, United States
Hundreds of witnesses observed a disc, illuminated by bright lights, flying at a low altitude over a residential quarter of Levittown. When dozens of people called the local police station, a patrol car was sent. Police Officer Sgt. José Cordero arrived just in time to observe the large disc passing directly over him. He was able to take ten photos with his official Polaroid camera. View full report
Source: Hesemann ID: 408
Case Type: SummaryReport Features: Photo, Group Sighting
Star-shaped objects observed for several nights over Ingolstadt, Germany
September, 6, 1979 - Ingolstadt, Germany
Star-shaped objects were observed for several nights in September 1979 over the city of Ingolstadt. Since that time members of MUFON-CES, the German UFO research organization, have interviewed several flight controllers, a dozen police officers and numerous other witnesses. They have also analyzed photographs and radar recordings that where made on film. View full report
Source: Illobrand von Ludwiger / MUFON-CES, (1998) ID: 653
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Group Sighting, Police, Pilot/Aircrew
UFO Abduction at Maringa (Jardim Alvorada Affair)
April, 13, 1979 - Maringa , Brazil
The Jardim Alvorada Affair is the study of a UFO abduction involving sexual relations and dialogue with the crew of a UFO. The case was investigated by the Center for Flying Saucer Research. The investigation included a number of interviews with the two main witnesses, who are brothers, and then hypnotic regression sessions, which were carried out by Dr. Oswaldo Alves, an MD. View full report
Source: A. J. Gevaerd ID: 1033
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Abduction, Physiological Effects
Filiberto Cardenas Abduction and Contact Case
January, 3, 1979 - Hialeah, Florida, United States
In January 3, 1979 a Cuban exile Filiberto Cardenas was abducted in front of his family. Later, he had an encounter introducing his wife to the entities. This may be the first case on record where the original abductee was able to successfuly introduce another person into the contact events and to actually take them aboard a UFO with them. View full report
Source: Albert Rosales, Humanoid Catalog (1979 Reports) ID: 695
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Abduction, Contact, Water-Related, Communication, Witness Sketch, Witness Photo
Large disc-shaped craft with dome flies low over couple's home
1979 - Santa Clarita Valley, California, United States
From the witness: "I saw a craft approaching the house... it was directly over our house and pool. It was approximately 75-100 feet above us... The craft was about 75-100 feet or less in diameter. It had small porthole and lights around it in the upper dome section, it was solid, metallic and shiny. There was a dome above it and attached to the body with no visible separation, as if it were molded as one solid craft." View full report
Source: UFOEvidence.org / Brian Vike, HBCCUFO ID: 1035
Case Type: RawReport Features: Silent, Portholes/Windows, Body Lights
Metallic, saucer-shaped object with triangle on underside
1979 - Coast of Florida, near Orlando, Florida, United States
"My husband yelled at me to hurry out and see this. A UFO was travelling under the clouds over the river towards Orlando. I'll never forget it. It was metallic as the sun reflected off it. No noise at all. We all watched in awe! My Dad worked at Kennedy Space Center at the time and he didn't have any answers." View full report
Source: UFOEvidence.org ID: 463
Case Type: RawReport Features: Witness Sketch
Two police officers in UK encounter UFO (researcher Tony Dodd's sighting)
December, 12, 1978 - Skipton, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
At 4:30 a.m., a lonely police patrol car was driving on a remote country road along the Cononley Moor. In the car were Sgt. Anthony Dodd and Constable Alan Dale. They saw a bright white light that seemed to be diving towards them in a glide. a big shining disc which flew over their heads at a speed of about 40 mph. At its closest, it was hardly 100 feet away from them, so that they could see a number of details. "It was a huge thing, about 100 feet in diameter, and it made no noise whatsoever." View full report
Source: Michael Hesemann ID: 662
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Police, Body Lights, Silent, Portholes/Windows, Witness Sketch, Witness Photo
Cigar‑shaped object with curved tail seen by several, including police officer
November, 26, 1978 - Clarenville, Newfoundland, Canada
"Both Mr. Lethbridge and Constable Blackwood describe the same thing: A cigar‑shaped object with a curved tail, in the sky with blue, red and yellow flashing lights. It ranged from about thirty‑five to forty feet in diameter and hovered approximately five hundred feet above sea level with no movement. " View full report
Source: Lee Tizzard - Brian Vike, HBCCUFO.org ID: 583
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Police, Witness Sketch, Communication
Landed UFO and humanoid encountered by four hunters in Spain
November, 24, 1978 - Gerena, Seville, Spain
The four witnesses were hunting in the early morning hours near the Guadiamar River, when they encountered a landed object with a humanoid being standing next to it. The UFO looked like a large earthen jar, upside down, with a red light on top. The being seemed strong and tall (some 2 meters or taller), and had on a dark-colored helmet and silvery body suit. The witnesses become frightened when the humanoid approached them, and they left the area running. View full report
Source: Ignacio Darnaude, APRO, Sept. 1979 ID: 681
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Humanoid/Occupant, Landing, Physical Trace
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
Metallic, saucer-shaped object with loud 'humming' sound over Michigan farmland
June, 15, 1978 - Mancelona, Michigan, United States
From the witness: "I looked up and saw the object, hovering, over the field behind our house. I estimate it was no farther than 250 yards away from me, hovering about 200 to 300 feet in the air. It was metallic and disk-shaped...and all along the rim it exhibited colors changing from red-orange-white-blue... it was [making] a loud-vibrating-humming low pitched tone..." View full report
Source: NUFORC (National UFO Reportin Center), Peter Davenport, Director ID: 1067
Case Type: RawReport Features: Humming
UFO crash in Bolivia witnessed by thousands of people
May, 6, 1978 - El Taire Mountain, Bolivia
On May 6, 1978, at about 4:15 p.m., something crashed into a mountain near El Taire on the Bermejo River, the border between the Bolivian province of Tarija and Argentina. Thousands of people saw this happening and later described the object as being cylindrical in shape with a flaming tail. It had caused a supersonic bang that was heard up to 150 miles away. View full report
Source: Michael Hesemann, 1998 ID: 635
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Crash/Retrieval, Mass Sighting
Large triangular object hovers near campers in Patapsco State Park
March, 22, 1978 - Patapsco State Park, Maryland, United States
Gary Oickle, 24, his brother David, 22, and two friends were camping in Patapsco State Park, when they encountered a huge triangular shaped object with large windows and three white lights at the corners. The object moved very slowly, hovering at times. When it appeared above them it was very low, approximately 200-250 feet, and made a sound like a "quiet wind" or "quietly rushing waterfall". View full report
Source: APRO, April 1978 ID: 828
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Group Sighting
Construction worker sees massive disc-shaped object
March, 1, 1978 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
A Pittsburgh construction worker and his girlfriend claimed they saw a massive disc-shaped object settle about 2,000 feet over Highland Reservoir. He estimated its size as larger than the reservoir itself. Paul Oles, program director for Buhl Planetarium, also saw a bright light which he "can't explain," about one hour earlier. View full report
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, PA), March 4, 1978 ID: 438
Case Type: PressReport Features: Humming
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
Family sees UFO hovering over Camas, WA
December, 24, 1977 - Camas, Washington, United States
Barbara Siewell of Springfield, OR and her family witnessed a UFO hovering over Camas, WA on Christmas Eve, 1977. Two other adult witnesses reported seeing the same thing on the same date, also in Camas, WA. View full report
Source: Camas Post-Record (Camas, WA), Jan. 25, 1978 ID: 439
Case Type: PressReport Features: Portholes/Windows
Mass sighting of large jellyfish-like UFO over Petrosavodsk, USSR
September, 20, 1977 - Petrosavodsk, Russian Federation
Early risers in Petrosavodsk saw a bright light suddenly appearing amid the clouds at about 4:05 a.m. The star-like light came nearer and descended in a spiral trajectory, and soon looked like a ball of fire. Soon, it looked like an reddish-orange hemisphere surrounded by a bright zone. During the next few seconds, hundreds of thin rays of light, like thin arrows, were showered upon the earth. The thing now looked like a big jellyfish with golden tentacles, shining in beautiful colors. View full report
Source: Michael Hesemann, 1998 ID: 636
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Sound, Physical Trace, Mass Sighting
Three boys frightened by strange creatures from landed UFO
May, 20, 1977 - West Pittsburg, California, United States
On the night of May 20, 1977, three Contra Costa County boys say they saw an object resembling a flying saucer land in West Pittsburg. They fled in terror when strange creatures came toward them, walking like stiff robots surrounded by smoke or steam vapor. The Center for UFO Studies, directed by J. Allen Hynek, considered this to be one of only three credible humanoid encounter cases of the year. View full report
Source: Oakland Tribune (Oakland, CA), Apr. 2, 1978 ID: 452
Case Type: PressReport Features: Humanoid/Occupant, Landing, Children, Portholes/Windows, Witness Photo
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
