selected ufo cases
Famous / Classic / Major Cases
Kirtland Air Force Base 1980 UFO Landing
August, 9, 1980 - Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
On the morning of August 9, 1980, several security guards at the Manzano Weapons Storage Area, adjacent to Kirtland AFB, saw a bright light descend in (a) restricted area. A fourth guard observed a disk shaped light in the vicinity of a bunker used to store nuclear weapons. The incident resulted in a report being filed with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) at Kirtland. View full report
Source: Francis Ridge, NICAP ID: 218
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Military, Nuclear Facility
The Valentich Mystery
October, 21, 1978 - Bass Strait , Australia
It was the extraordinary disappearance of pilot Frederick Valentich (left) over Bass Strait on October 21st, 1978, that thrust the subject of UFOs into the news headlines around the world. The Valentich mystery has endured as an insoluble enigma. View full report
Source: Bill Chalker ID: 24
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Pilot/Aircrew, Witness Photo
Fort Dix / McGuire AFB Case
January, 18, 1978 - Fort Dix/McGuire AFB, New Jersey, United States
The primary eyewitness in the case, Jeffrey Morse, alleged (i) that he had been working as a security policeman at McGuire AFB when he was notified about UFO activity over Fort Dix army base. (ii) Morse alleged that he heard that a non-human entity had been shot and he later saw the dead body of the entity lying on the ground on a disused runway at McGuire AFB. View full report
Source: NIDS, National Institute for Discovery Science ID: 317
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Military, Humanoid/Occupant, Witness Sketch
F-4 Jet Chase over Iran 1976
September, 18, 1976 - Tehran, Iran
One of the best documented UFO-aircraft incidents, when a UFO was observed flying over the restricted airspace of Tehran, Iran. Two U.S.-made F-4 Phantom II jet fighters of the Imperial Iranian Air Force were scrambled, but as the pilots closed in on the target, their communications and weapons systems were suddenly jammed. The incident was confirmed by high ranking officers of the Iranian Air Force and later documented by several agencies of the U.S. military. View full report
Source: Don Berliner, UFO Briefing Document: The Best Available Evidence ID: 200
Case Type: MajorCase Features: E-M Effects, Radar, Pilot/Aircrew, Military
The Allagash Abductions
August, 26, 1976 - Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Maine, United States
In August of 1976, four young art students in their early twenties left for a canoe and camping trip in Maine's Allagash Wilderness. On one night during the trip, they encountered a huge oval, glowing object rising above the trees nearby, and were soon engulfed in a beam of light from the craft. As discovered in hypnosis sessions years later, it was at this point that all four were abducted into the craft and subjected to physical examinations. View full report
Source: Raymond E. Fowler ID: 466
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Missing Time, Abduction, Witness Photo, Witness Sketch, Interaction/Reaction, Light Beam
The Kentucky Abductions
January, 6, 1976 - Stanford, Kentucky, United States
On January 6, 1976, three women were abducted near Stanford, Kentucky. As they were driving together to have dinner, a bright red object appeared in the sky, which Mona Stafford at first thought was an airplane on fire. As the object descended from the right side of the road to a point ahead of them, they could see that it was not an airplane, but a huge object bigger than "two houses." View full report
Source: Loy Lawhon, About.com ID: 181
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Physiological Effects, E-M Effects, Missing Time, Abduction, Polygraph Test, Witness Photo, Witness Sketch
Travis Walton Abduction Case
November, 5, 1975 - Sitgreave-Apache National Forest , Arizona, United States
In November 1975, a group of six tree-trimmers were driving home from work. The driver stopped the truck when he noticed that a flying saucer was hovering above some nearby trees. Travis Walton approached the craft. He was then knocked to the ground by a blue and white light. View full report
Source: Coral Lorenzen, APRO ID: 242
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Abduction, Polygraph Test, Witness Photo
The Billy Meier Case (Photos and Contact Case)
January, 28, 1975 - Switzerland
"Billy" Eduard Albert Meier (born February 3, 1937) is a citizen of Switzerland and contactee. He is also the source of over 1000 photographs of objects claimed to be UFOs. Billy claims regular contact with the Plejaren, a group of extraterrestrials, and presents much spiritual and philosophical information from these meetings. He describes the Plejaran as humans much like the humans of Earth. View full report
Source: Steelmark ID: 989
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Photo, Contact, Contactee, Physical Trace, Artifact, Sound, Witness Photo
Coyne Helicopter Incident
October, 18, 1973 - Mansfield, Ohio, United States
The Coyne case (or "Army helicopter incident") stands out as, perhaps the most credible (in the "high strangeness" category) of the 1973 wave. An Army Reserve helicopter crew of four men encountered a gray, metallic-looking, cigar-shaped object, with unusual lights and maneuvers, as they were airborne between Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio. View full report
Source: Jennie Zeidman, CUFOS ID: 104
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Pilot/Aircrew, Military
The Pascagoula Abduction Incident
October, 11, 1973 - Pascagoula, Mississippi, United States
The Pascagoula Incident involved two men, Parker and Hickson, both of Gautier, Mississippi, who were fishing in the Pascagoula River when they heard a buzzing noise behind them. Both turned and were terrified to see a ten-foot-wide, eight-foot-high, glowing egg-shaped object with blue lights at its front hovering just above the ground about forty feet from the river bank. As the men, frozen with fright, watched, a door appeared in the object, and three strange Beings floated just above the river towards them. View full report
Source: Andy Page / NICAP ID: 97
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Abduction, Physiological Effects, Polygraph Test, Witness Photo, Humanoid/Occupant
Delphos, Kansas Landing Ring
November, 2, 1971 - Delphos, Kansas, United States
16 year old Ronald Johnson was tending the sheep, accompanies by his dog, when the sighting happened. What he suddenly saw was a mushroom shaped object, illuminated by multicolored lights over its entire surface and hovering 25 yards away. Johnson and his family went around the house to the site of the near landing and were surprised... to observe a glowing ring in the ground. This is considered as one of the very best physical trace cases involving a UFO landing. View full report
Source: Loy Lawhon, About.com ID: 192
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Physical Trace, Landing, Animal Reaction, Children
Lago de Cote Photograph
September, 4, 1971 - Lago de Cote, Costa Rica
Photo was taken by a Costa Rican government mapping plane during an aerial mapping mission. No member of the crew stated that they saw anything unusual during the routine flight. Much analysis has been undertaken using the original negative. View full report
Source: STUDIOVNI ID: 250
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Photo, Pilot/Aircrew
The Buff Ledge Abduction (two teenagers abducted in Vermont)
August, 7, 1969 - Buff Ledge Camp, Vermont, United States
"Michael" and "Janet", two teenage employees at Buff Ledge summer camp were sitting on a boat dock, when a UFO approached them. Two occupants were visible inside the craft. When it was directly over them, a beam of light shone from the craft. The next thing they remembered was sitting on the dock watching the now distant light. Ten years later under hypnosis, Michael and Janet each recounted a similar detailed story of abduction, a medical examination, and being taken on board a "mother ship." View full report
Source: Loy Lawhon, About.com ID: 658
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Abduction, Witness Sketch, Water-Related, 'Dyad Scout Craft', Children
President Jimmy Carter's UFO Sighting
January, 6, 1969 - Leary, Georgia, United States
Jimmy Carter is one of two U.S. Presidents who have reported seeing a UFO before becoming the President. He later said, "It was the darndest thing I've ever seen. It was big, it was very bright, it changed colors and it was about the size of the moon.. We watched it for ten minutes, but none of us could figure out what it was. One thing's for sure, I'll never make fun of people who say they've seen unidentified objects in the sky." View full report
Source: Grant Cameron, Presidential UFO ID: 294
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Famous Person, Witness Photo
Police Officer Herbert Schirmer Abduction
December, 3, 1967 - Ashland, Nebraska, United States
Sgt. Schirmer was on patrol when he encountered a UFO hovering above the road, which shot up when he flashed his high beams at the object. Soon, Schirmer realized he had experienced "missing time", and a red welt appeared on his neck. Hypnotic sessions revealed that the occupants of the landed craft came and took Schirmer aboard, and communicated with him through some form of mental telepathy. They told him that they would visit him twice more and that some day he would "see the universe". View full report
Source: Brent Raynes ID: 659
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Abduction, Police, Missing Time, Contact, Physiological Effects, Artifact, Polygraph Test, Witness Sketch, Witness Photo
The Shag Harbour Incident
October, 4, 1967 - Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada
On the night of 04 October 1967, shortly after 11:00 PM, a UFO some 60 feet in diameter was seen to hover over the water near the tiny fishing village of Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia. The UFO, which displayed four bright lights that flashed in sequence, tilted to a 45-degree angle and descended rapidly towards the water's surface. Upon impact, there was a bright flash and an explosive roar. View full report
Source: MUFON Canada ID: 166
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Water-Related, Crash/Retrieval
The Stephen Michalak Encounter at Falcon Lake
May, 20, 1967 - Falcon Lake, Manitoba, Canada
Stephen Michalak of Winnipeg, was prospecting near Falcon Lake, Manitoba, when he encountered two UFOs, one of which landed on a large, flat rock about 160 feet away from him. After having approached the object and looked inside, the object moved, and something like an exhaust vent was now in front of him. A blast of hot gas shot from these holes onto his chest, setting his shirt and undershirt on fire and causing him severe pain, and leaving burn marks in the shape of a grid. View full report
Source: Loy Lawhon, About.com ID: 376
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Physiological Effects, Landing, Injury, Witness Photo, Witness Sketch
Portage County, Ohio UFO Chase
April, 17, 1966 - Portage County, Ohio, United States
One of the most dramatic encounters by police officers with an apparently structured, low-level UFO. Officers chased the object for eighty-five miles, as it seemed to play a cat-and-mouse game with them. This case was the basis for the UFO "chase" in the film 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind.' View full report
Source: Richard Hall, NICAP website ID: 79
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Police, Witness Sketch, Humming
Sheriffs Watch High-Performance Discs (The Michigan Sightings / 'Swamp Gas' Case)
March, 14, 1966 - Dexter-Hillsdale, Michigan, United States
Washtenaw County sheriffs and police in neighboring jurisdictions reported disc-shaped objects moving at fantastic speeds and making sharp turns, diving and climbing, and hovering. At one point, four UFOs in straight-line formation were observed. Selfridge AFB confirmed tracking UFOs over Lake Erie at 4:56 a.m. Their stories were backed up by more than 100 witnesses View full report
Source: FUFOR (Fund for UFO Research) ID: 778
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Police, Radar, Witness Sketch, Group Sighting, Mass Sighting
The 1966 Tully Saucer Nest
January, 19, 1966 - Near Tully, Australia
The Tully "saucer nest" has a very special place in UFO lore. The famous Tully "UFO nest" affair of 1966 is one of the best known accounts of an apparent UFO landing report. It is the focus of a very important nexus in the pivotal question of UFO reality. 1966 was a major year for UFO activity in Australia. View full report
Source: UFO Research Queensland ID: 65
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Physical Trace, Landing, Animal Reaction
The Kecksburg UFO Crash
December, 9, 1965 - Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, United States
An object landed in the tiny town of Kecksburg, PA on December 9, 1965. It was observed as a fireball in the sky across several U.S. states and Canada. Four witnesses have provided independent, corroborated descriptions of the object and its location in the Kecksburg woods. Dozens of others describe the military presence at the crash site, the cordoning off of the area, and the retrieval of an object transported by an army truck. View full report
Source: Stan Gordon ID: 281
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Crash/Retrieval
The Incident at Exeter (Muscarello Case)
September, 3, 1965 - Exeter, New Hampshire, United States
Norman Muscarello, a teenage Navy recruit, was walking down a quiet country highway at night, when suddenly, a huge object loomed above him. Thus began the "Incident at Exeter," a series of sightings officially qualified as "unidentified." The encounters that night took special precedence over other UFO sightings because of the credibility of two Exeter police officers who also saw the UFO, as well as that of the dispatcher and supervising officer who first heard Muscarello's account. View full report
Source: The Portsmouth Herald (Portsmouth, NH), Sept. 2, 2005 ID: 426
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Police, Animal Reaction, Witness Photo
Rex Heflin UFO Photographs
August, 3, 1965 - Santa Ana, California, United States
Rex Heflin, an Orange County highway inspector, was at work in a county vehicle at 12:37 P.M when he saw a hat-shaped (disc with dome) object hovering above the road. He grabbed his Polaroid camera and took three photographs of the metallic-appearing object and a fourth of a black "smoke ring" left behind by the object. View full report
Source: STUDIOVNI ID: 253
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Photo
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
