selected ufo cases
North America (including Mexico)
Cigar-shaped object with portholes seen by 7 witnesses over Northern Texas
May, 13, 1981 - Denison, Texas, United States
At least seven persons spotted an unidentified flying object over Texomaland last Wednesday morning. Jim Shelton, mechanic at Jim Graham International, described the sighting and drew a sketch. "It was a flying object with lit portholes. Fire was streaming in sparks from the rear, and it had green and yellow pulsating lights," he said. "It was real. I saw it, and if they lock me up, I still saw it. It was long, a cigar-like shape." View full report
Source: Irene Flaherty, Denison Herald (Denison, TX), May 17, 1981 ID: 948
Case Type: PressReport Features: Portholes/Windows, Silent, Witness Sketch
Low-flying cigar-shaped object sighted over Los Angeles in 1981
April, 19, 1981 - Los Angeles, California, United States
A large, low-flying cigar-shaped object with white lights shining from a row of "windows" and bearing green-blue and white "running lights" was sighted by a West Los Angeles resident on the night of April 19, 1981 at about 11:30 p.m. Taff estimated the object, which made no sound, was about 65 feet in length and about 15 feet high. View full report
Source: News World (New York, NY), Dec. 12, 1981 / APRO Bulletin, 1981 ID: 943
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Witness Sketch, Silent, Portholes/Windows, Body Lights
Large low-flying object with square windows seen by couple in car over Bethesda, MD
March, 15, 1981 - Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Martin Buxbaum was driving with his wife and noticed an unusual object silhouetted against the dark blue evening sky. The object had the wingspan of a 717 but was flying low, he says. It was accented by a row of square windows in the front and two "cherry red" exhaust lights to the rear. But most mysterious of all, the object made no sound at all View full report
Source: Mike M. Ahlers, Montgomery Journal (Chevy Chase, MD), March 25, 1981 ID: 949
Case Type: PressReport Features: Portholes/Windows, Silent, Witness Sketch
Metallic object flew silently overhead at 20-40 mph at 200-400 feet
March, 1981 - Montaulk, New York, United States
I stopped the car and shut the engine. Looking up I saw a metalic object pass slowly overhead at perhaps 200-400 feet. There were no wings or rotors, no visible engines, and absolutely no sound. View full report
Source: UFO Evidence ID: 68
Case Type: RawReport
Trans-en-Provence Physical Trace Case
January, 8, 1981 - Trans-en-Provence, France
On the afternoon of January 8, 1981, a strange craft landed on a farm near the village of Trans-en-Provence in the Var region in southeastern France. Physical traces left on the ground were collected by the Gendarmerie within 24 hours and later analyzed in several French government laboratories. Extensive evidence of anomalous activity was detected. View full report
Source: ISSO ID: 110
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Physical Trace, Landing, Witness Sketch
The Hudson Valley Boomerang Sightings
1981 - Hudson Valley, New York, United States
Between 1982 and 1995, more than seven thousand cases were investigated and documented by a team of investigators led by Philip J. Imbrogno, a high school science teacher and astronomer in Greenwich, Connecticut. The heaviest period was between the end of 1982 and 1986, when more than five thousand people reported seeing the object. View full report
Source: Bob Pratt ID: 1084
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Mass Sighting
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
Young boy struck by beam of light from UFO
December, 5, 1980 - Foxboro, Massachusetts, United States
13 year-old boy declaring he had been struck by a beam of light from a UFO that seemed to appear above him from nowhere and to hover so closely that he could estimate its size to be "bigger than a house." View full report
Source: Joseph Nyman, Mass. MUFON Chief Investigator, Mass. MUFON and Edwin 'Ed' Fogg, Jr. ID: 3
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Physiological Effects, Children
UFO sighted in Easley (SC)
September, 9, 1980 - Easley, South Carolina, United States
There was something ' strange, and beautiful, and incredibly big floating just above the tree tops in front of Larry Joe Garrett's house on Fruit Mountain Road last Thursday morning. "That's the Goodyear blimp!" was my first thought. Then I realized it wasn't a blimp." View full report
Source: Easley Progress (South Carolina), Sept. 17, 1980 ID: 299
Case Type: PressReport Features: Rotary/Spin Motion
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
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
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
Do UFOs Correct Calendar Watches?
March, 27, 1979 - Oak Bluffs , Massachusetts, United States
Apparently in contact with the water, was a luminous green cylinder with rounded ends at a distance estimated at about 200 feet. View full report
Source: Joseph Nyman, Mass. MUFON Chief Investigator, Mass. MUFON ID: 4
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Water-Related
Monroe, NC man is abducted and has meeting with occupant of craft
March, 1979 - Monroe, North Carolina, United States
In March 1979, Pat Eudy was driving home when he saw a bright light in the sky, after which his memory went blank, leaving a "missing time" of about three hours. A session with a psychologist allowed Eudy to reconstruct what happened. "[I remember being on] board (a UFO) and seeing an astronaut in a suit," Eudy said. The being stood about 5 feet tall..." Eudy asked a lot of questions about how the craft worked, and he was strapped to a chair where possible tests were performed. View full report
Source: Monroe Enquirer-Journal (Monroe, North Carolina), 9/27/81 ID: 938
Case Type: PressReport Features: Abduction, Missing Time
Disk-like craft hovers low, 'people' visible in windows
March, 1979 - Michigan, United States
From the witness: "The disk like craft came down directly over the church/rectory and hovered about 20 ft. above it.... It was disk-like with a very wide band of windows around the middle of the thing.... There were people/beings (?) looking down at me.... Two of them then were standing up and came up to the windows, and they just started down at me and the car.... I could see right into their craft. It was very brightly lit up inside." View full report
Source: MUFON ID: 1186
Case Type: RawReport
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
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
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
Pilot sighting of glowing orange sphere in Tranquillity, California
July, 28, 1978 - Tranquillity, California, United States
From the witness: "That sighting of 28 July made a very deep and lasting impression. I can still see the glowing orange, flattened sphere as vividly in my mind as it appeared on that early morning many years ago. I have no doubt that the device (or whatever it was) was real - there is absolutely no way that it could have been a product of my imagination." View full report
Source: Brian Vike, HBCCUFO Research (hbccufo.org) ID: 1056
Case Type: RawReport Features: Pilot/Aircrew
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
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
Long cigar-shape object with portholes, colored lights flying above treetops
March, 1, 1978 - Middlebury , Connecticut, United States
"I saw this long cigar shaped object just above the treetops, not more than 150 feet away. Probably even closer than that. It was right beside me flying parallel to me, but slightly faster... It was about 100 feet long, and 15 feet high. It had rounded ends on the front and back. It looked just like a cigar or a hot dog." View full report
Source: UFOEvidence.org ID: 474
Case Type: RawReport Features: Witness Sketch, Portholes/Windows
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
