SIGHTINGS


 
Sightings Roll In From
US To Sri Lanka
From George A. Filer
MUFON Eastern Director
MUFON Skywatch Investigations
Filer's Files #18-1998
5-7-98
 
 
CONNECTICUT
 
MUFON State Section Director Bruce Tilden and Assistant State Director, Mark Cashman report a hovering UFO was observed around 9:00 PM on April 18 or 19, 1998. The witness was driving to Middletown when he drove slowly past the Mount Higby Reservoir and saw the UFO from three observation points. (Latitude 41.538515N Longitude -72.722789W.) He also provided a sketch of the object. The investigators will be revisiting the witness and the site for site photographs and a reenactment. Based on the initial information, my calculations indicate that the object was at an approximate altitude of about 50 feet above the reservoir, at an approximate distance of 500 feet. The UFO was a 100 feet across. The object was hovering over the water near some pine trees and its reflection was observed in the water. There were three lights in a triangle formation, which were very bright point sources that do not seem to have cast light on the nearby trees. The lights were slightly bluish white, closer to fluorescent light than halogen. No scintillation was observed, but some halation may have been present due to the brightness. The object was twisted such that the closest point was skewed slightly to the west. The witness did not see the object in front of any background objects at any position. Therefore it remains possible that these were three lights in formation rather than an object. No thickness was discerned. The witness did observe the lights through trees from the third reference point, which is about 30 feet higher than the other two locations. The triangulation indicates that the object or formation was close to or over the west shore of the reservoir. The observation between locations one and two may have been about a half minute. No engine interference was noted. The object turned out its lights or was obscured shortly after the witness passed the third observation point. The witness constructed a model of the object by tearing paper into a triangle and demonstrating the orientation of the object with the model. He seems to be stable, courteous, intelligent, and cooperative. His mother indicates that the witness was shaking and would not immediately enter the house after his sighting. The investigation is continuing. Thanks to Mark Cashman, creator of The Temporal Doorway at http://www.geocities.com/~mcashman
 
GEORGIA
 
A 21 year old male witness living in Comer and physics major at the University of Georgia, senior year reports a UFO sighting. The witness was interviewed two days after his April 25, 1998, sighting. He stated, he was at home on 25 April when his 15 year old brother came inside about 11:50 PM and stated there was an unusual light hovering on the distant horizon. The witness being an amateur astronomer in conjunction with his physics major then checked sky charts for bright celestial objects and found none. He continued outside with some 7X35 binoculars and located a fuzzy dull red line object in the southern horizon. It was brighter or more focused in the middle, and fuzzy toward the edges. It was horizontal, and about as long as an aspirin is wide when held at arm's length. He watched it for ten minutes. The UFO suddenly moved about 45 degrees to the SE at an incredible speed, then hovered there for about a minute. The UFO quickly returned its initial southern position. He was unable to identify the object and returned inside, leaving his brother to continue the observation. The total sighting was for 30 minutes. Follow-up investigation into this matter continues. Thanks to ISUR Board member John Thompson.
 
Information was received on 29 April regarding a gigantic UFO that slowly overflew Marietta Georgia in 1959, ten years before MUFON's existence. This event was observed by hundreds of citizens and reported to the air traffic controller at the adjacent Dobbins AFB and to the local newspapers. The reporting witness is a retired long distance telephone operator and life long Marietta area resident. She stated that she was driving south on Fairground Street near downtown at about 10:30 PM. As she approached Lawrence Street she indicated that it could not have been more than 300 to 400 feet in altitude and was almost right over them and slightly to the front. She indicated that she and her aunt looked right up at its bottom side as it passed. She described it as being about the size of a football field, egg shaped, no protuberances on its surface, and glowing a silver color about the same intensity and shade as the full moon. The witness was raised a mile from Dobbins Air Force Base and the Lockheed Georgia Company and this was nothing like she had ever observed. The object passed directly overhead. She phoned the Dobbins tower about 30 minutes later and was told that their phones were "burning up" with citizens' reports of the craft. One of the newspapers ran headlines about the UFO the next day. Thanks to Chief Sheets, GA State MUFON Director.
 
COLORADO
 
After eight weeks of blissful relief, the livestock surgeons appear to have returned to the San Luis Valley, located in south central Colorado. Junne and Virgil Walkley were returning home when they happened upon a "mutilated cow" that appeared to be dropped on a fence line twelve miles east of Alamosa, CO. The animal had apparently been dead for three or four days. It was lying on its back directly on an old fence line that extended north-to-south, on the western edge of the San Luis Valley Ranch Estates. The Walkley's are subscribers to the Mysterious Valley Report, and avid skywatchers. The mandible flesh and hide had been removed cleanly from around the lower teeth, up and around the jaw, and back under the lower jaw around to the lower teeth. The rear end and lower internal organs had been reamed by coyotes and scavenging birds. At this time, the owner of the animal has not been established and no report has been made to authorities. A thorough investigation of the crime-scene was unable to locate any further clues as to the identity of the perpetrators. This makes seven cases in a perfect crescent-line along the Alamosa River. Thanks to Christopher O'Brien, CAUS/Skywatch, http://home.amigo.net/tmv
 
NEW MEXICO
 
ISUR Sighting: Matt G. Radley reports he saw a UFO between 8:30 PM and 11:00 PM on April 27, 1998. He first noticed a light west of Portales that did not move for a long time. It had white, red, and blue colors that caused him to notice its presence. It didn't move and then it suddenly disappeared. It then appeared northwest of the original location. A second light appeared at the original spot. He tried to get a movie camera picture but could not. The UFO appeared spherical in shape and stayed in one place, but appeared to move in circles. Six persons in my family saw the UFO. The witnesses gave their phone number: 505-356-2894 and address at 2140 Pojoaque Court Portales, NM 88130. Portales- red_chow@hotmail.com Thanks to John Thompson and ISUR.
 
AUSTRALIA
 
On May 2, 1998, at 5:40 PM a silver gray disc was observed hovering 100 meters overhead a family. It was near dusk on Saturday, when a family visiting the remote Tarra-Bluga National Park in Victoria sighted and heard a silver gray disc. The UFO hovered 100 meters overhead for about four minutes before taking off. The UFO had a large dome on top and three oval-shaped bulbuls or ball like protrusions underneath. The craft was about the size of 3 or 4 cars. The object emitted a low frequency buzz or hum that could only be heard while directly underneath. The investigation continues. Thanks to Ross Dowe Australian UFO Hotline ippoz@eisa.net.au
 
On October 11, 1997, several million Australians observed extremely bright fluorescent lime green illumination across the skies. These illuminations have been observed in other parts of the world such as Mexico and the United States. Ross Dowe National UFO Hotline in Melbourne received well over 1000 telephone calls from Australian residents of the eastern states of New South Wales and Queensland. The sun was setting in the sky at 18:12 to 18:14 hours when the lime green illumination crossed from SW to NE in 8 to 10 seconds. The light was said to be an "enormous light" like a semitrailer in the skies, and it flew with a very long illuminated green tail. As this light descended it got much larger. As the illumination dipped down some 25 degrees below it's initial high altitude it appeared to break into two main lights. Some observers saw nine lights in a trail. The initial single light exploded into a huge fireworks display as it approached ground level with literally thousands of lights exploding out in all directions before cascading downwards in an umbrella shape. Some exploded pieces reportedly spiraled downwards leaving dark brown smoke trails.
 
A crop-duster pilot operating near Warwick in southern Queensland spent 10 valuable last light minutes searching for glowing objects on the ground -- after seeing many GLOWING PLASMA balls fly past his wing and over a nearby hill and apparently rain down to ground level around him. He could find no evidence that anything had hit the ground and/or survived the fall, but the explosion was apparently near Warwick. The "objects" flight and its low altitude explosion left a huge sound trail that reverberated around in the clouds and sky for some five minutes as an intense shuddering noise. Cracks and booms with rolling thunder were heard from as far south as Sydney. Editor's Note: It appears these large plasma displays are becoming more common in our skies. A scientist who has contacted me, believes these displays may be the result of electrical plasma forming around chemical particles or pollution in the highest reaches of our atmosphere. During my numerous flights across the oceans, I noted the tremendous energy surrounding Aurora Borealis in the upper atmosphere. It is possible our immense electrical output and our polluted skies are causing this energy to form around these particles. Another possibility is that high performance craft entering our atmosphere is causing these plasmas to form.
 
SRI LANKA
 
May 3rd, Sunday Times article by Chris Kamalendran reports: "Bandarawela, Diyatalawa and surrounding areas are all agog and sky-gazing, partly in fear and partly in fascination, after several people reported seeing a glittering unidentified flying object (UFO) coming in, landing and going off during the past few days. According to the principal of Adikaram Primary School in Bandarawela, several school boys and teachers had told him they had seen the UFO. Grade Five student Harsha Ellawellagedera said he had seen the object around 6:30 a.m., on Thursday while several others reported they had seen it at different times. If school boys might be prone to some imagination, then the District Medical Officer of Diyatalawa, Kamani Pushpakumara, would contradict the skeptics. She said she had seen a UFO flying over her garden a few days ago. Frightened by it, she ran into the house and told her husband to close the door. A driver in the area is also reported he had seen a UFO. Investigations are continuing with space science students likely to join hundreds of long-weekend holiday makers in the resort towns to discover more about the extraordinary scenes in the sky. Thanks to Asoka Liyanage at asoka@dns.paci.gov.kw, and Suntimes http://www.lacnet.org/suntimes/980503/frontm.html#LABEL1.
 
FIRST DESCRIPTION OF UFO IS USUALLY THE BEST
 
When investigating a UFO report, I suggest that you tape or carefully write down the description provided by the witness. The witnesses first description of the event is likely to be the best because everything else repeated will, by human fallibility, tend to be corrupted. Each telling tends to bring in minute exaggerations that geometrically enlarge with each repeat. Very similar to the children's game of "telephone" or software that loses minute fragments of files each time it is stored and transferred. The first over-all description of an object will be based upon their life experience, educational attainments and personal experience of the witness in relating the familiar with what they actually saw or experienced. When the story is repeated the witness will tend to make changes. This is normally not an attempt to lie. They are essentially changing their internal view to understand something that is beyond their comprehension. With the opportunity to analyze and refocus they may turn a light into a craft, in order to make it easier for them to discuss. They are attempting to over come their fear or confusion about an uncomfortable experience. So they make the description into something they can manage and control. It is self preservation or positioning. They may try to read the reactions of the investigator to obtain tips on what is expected. Therefore, it is best to be very noncommittal. The investigator can transfer his belief systems to the witness. This is commonly called transference and is a common psychological propensity of all human beings. The researcher if on the scene, will unconsciously begin to add or remove from the actuality of the event and witness statement by their own belief systems, etc. This is usually done unconsciously, but has immediate consequence. Later, when many days, weeks, months or years pass and researchers review or analyze the aspects of the case, the tendency to argue semantics of facts rather than the scenario itself becomes a lesson in futility. To avoid this the experienced and knowledgeable researcher will maintain that the first description, relating of events, etc., are the "closest" truth. Children are often good witnesses if you do not lead them with your own belief system. When you begin to question and dig deeper for more complex facts, the child will subtly begin to tell the you what you want to hear. Consequently, the most knowledgeable investigator will take the first description as the true fact in total and analyze based upon that description of the object or event. When a witness is giving his story, just listen until they've finished. Then you are probably closest to the real truth. Thanks to La Fem Nikita.


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