selected ufo cases
All Cases: Sorted by Oldest First
Police officer observes and photographs disc in Colfax, Wisconsin
April, 19, 1978 - Colfax, Wisconsin, United States
On April 19, 1978, police officer Mark Coltrane was on patrol in the vicinity of Colfax. He then noticed a metalic looking disc raising towards the the sky at a short distance from the parking space. While the object seemed to move towards him, Coltrane picked up his Polaroid camera, came out of the car and snapped some photographs. The object was so close in one of the images that it is possible to notice some details of its lower surface. View full report
Source: Wendelle Stevens (credit: UFOs at Close Sight (Ufologie.net) ID: 877
Case Type: SummaryReport Features: Photo, E-M Effects, Police
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Mini-UFOs and Metal Pieces in Finland
March, 16, 1979 - Suonenjoki, Finland
Suddenly Jarmo heard a humming sound obliquely from behind. He turned around. At an altitude of about two meters he saw a bell-shaped mini-UFO. Now he started taking photos of the UFO. It radiated blue light and moved forward descending and ascending. After having taken five photos he started walking toward the UFO. Then the UFO disappeared. View full report
Source: APRO Bulletin, Vol. 28, No. 5, Nov. 1979 ID: 410
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Photo, Physical Trace, Artifact, Humming
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
Soviet Cosmonaut shadowed by UFO in Earth orbit
April, 1979 - Earth orbit, enroute to Soviet Solyut 6 Space Station,
In April of 1979, Cosmonaut Victor Afanasyev lifted off from Star City to dock with the Soviet Solyut 6 space station. But while en route, something strange happened. Cosmonaut Afanasyev saw an unidentified object turn toward his craft and begin tailing it through space. View full report
Source: Sightings TV ID: 392
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Astronaut/Space, Witness Photo
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
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
Forester Encounters Mine-Like Entities in Scotland (the Dechmont Woods Encounter)
November, 9, 1979 - Livingston, Scotland, United Kingdom
Robert Taylor, a forester from West Lothian, Scotland, encountered a strange object and equally strange smaller objects or "entities". The rounded larger object, 20 feet in diameter, hovered above the ground. Then, two small objects, which were round but had appendages, "rushed" toward him. These objects each attached itself to one (each) of his trouser legs and tugged him towards the larger object, at which time Taylor lost consciousness. Ground marks were discovered at the scene of the encounter. View full report
Source: APRO, July 1980 ID: 682
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Landing, Humanoid/Occupant, Smell/Odor, Physical Trace, Witness Photo
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
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
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
