UFO Case Report:

South African constables observe disc-shaped object resting on highway

Date: September 16, 1965
Location: Pretoria, South Africa

On the night of September 16 two Pretoria, S. Africa, constables came upon a disc-shaped object resting on the highway. The headlights of their police van illuminated the copper-colored object which appeared to be about 30 feet in diameter. On top of the UFO was a small dome. In seconds the UFO suddenly lifted off the road, emitting tongues of flame.

Classification & Features

Type of Case/Report: StandardCase
Hynek Classification: ND
Shape of Object(s): Disc
# of Witnesses: Multiple
Special Features/Characteristics: Police, Physical Trace, Landing

More Articles on this Case

Full Report / Article

Source: NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomenon),

During an extensive wave of sightings in 1965, police officers in Exeter, N.H. and Damon, Texas both had close-range encounters with UFOs - structured objects with body lights - on September 3. (See separate report on Texas encounter). On the night of September 16 two Pretoria, S. Africa, constables came upon a disc-shaped object resting on the Pretoria-Bronkhorstspruit highway. The headlights of their police van illuminated the copper-colored object which appeared to be about 30 feet in diameter. On top of the UFO was a small dome.

Constables John Lockem and Koos de Klerk had been patrolling the highway just after midnight when they suddenly drove up on the object. In seconds the UFO suddenly lifted off the road, emitting tongues of flame from two tubes or channels on the underside. "Its lift-off was quicker than anything I have ever seen," Constable Lockem reported later. Flames from the macadam (tar and gravel) road surface shot up three feet in the air as the UFO departed, blazing long after it was out of sight. Later investigation showed that part of the road was caved in, evidently from a heavy weight, and gravel had been separated from the tar in a severely burned area about six feet in diameter.

Constable Lockem drew a sketch of the UFO with the aid of a staff artist of the newspaper Die Vaterland. The District Commandant of Pretoria North, Lt. Col. J.B. Brits, told the newspaper that the event was considered "as being of a highly secret nature and an inquiry is being conducted in top circles."

Samples of the damaged road surface were analyzed by a leading scientific agency in South Africa. NICAP has been unable to obtain copies of the analysis reports.

Case ID: 555 edit: 555

FAIR USE NOTICE: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for scientific, research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.