NUFORC Sighting 68593

Occurred: 1966-10-10 20:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2009-02-12 11:17 Pacific
Duration: 3 minutes
No of observers: 6

Location: Pell City, AL, USA

Shape: Disk
Characteristics: Lights on object

Strobe Lighted disk shape object observed close, at low speeds, and low altitude in Oct 1966 in Pell City Alabama

On a clear night in October 1966 I was at my Grandfathers' house with my whole family on Fathers' side. As we admired the clear cool October sky, stars clear, moon bright and vivid, one of my family members pointed north just above the trees and said,"look at that plane, its flying just above the trees".

Everyone's attention focused on the flickering lights as they appoached, no one spoke another word as we were all trying to bring into focus an airplane. That never happened and so no one spoke because no one knew what it was, even after it passed over.

The craft took a long time to arrive. I would estimate about 1 minute passed from the time we first saw it until the time it arrived over my Gradfathers' house because it was moving so slow. It was shaped like a plate, 3 times the size of my Grandfathers house, with strobe lights that went all the way around the craft changing from white around most of the craft to red, white, then red again before starting back to white. As if 2 lights in the rear were red seperated by one pulse of white, then back to white all the way around the rest of the craft very rapidly.

The craft was solid and the moonlight made the top of the craft appear a blue/white color and moved slowly and rose a bit to clear the higher ground and trees to the south of us over my aunt's house. The craft was completely silent and was flying so slow I thought it would fall out of the sky on top of us at any moment. That was my biggest fear at the time. That it might just fall on us. It was so big and slow.

I have the benefit of having my parents and relatives there. We discuss it occassionally and re-confirm what we all saw for our own edification and satisfaction. If anyone else saw the craft, I woud love to hear about it.

My cousin said it was Easter 1966, she might be right as she is a little older than me. I think it was before Holloween in 1966, she disagrees. I think my time is correct because I remember giving my book report to my class before the holidays and that spring of 1967 I was silent about UFOs because of the reaction I received.

As a boy I had followed the US space program and knew I had seen nothing like this in my life up to that point or since.

In 2004, while serving as a Police Advisor for the Department of State in Iraq, I met a gentleman who was a retired Air Force Officer and told him my childhood experience and he laughed and said I know exactly what you saw. He called it the Lenticular Re-entry Device. He told me it was a round craft, powered by electricity generated by a nuclear power plant with a crew of 5. He said it remains classified to this day because of the power plant. He told me the craft was an experimental craft that carried a crew of 5 and was capable of carrying 2 nulear ordinance weapons and could acheive low earth orbit up to 200,000 feet. He drew mw a picture of it and it was similar but no way to say for sure it was the same thing I saw.

I remember vividly the experience and the experience there after as I did my next book report at school on the subject of UFOs and what I learned was ridicule comes fast for having seen something extrodinary that no one else had seen. I haven't spoke with many about it since then but those that were there with me at the time and the exception of others who have shared similar experiences as I had.

I carry a camera with me everywhere and have for years now hoping that by chance I catch another glimpse of such an object and snap a photo but no such luck so far. When your 12 years old you think, ok, I'll see another one soon, it was right there at Grandpas house.

I am a retired Chief of Police now and served as a Police Advisor in Iraq and Afghanistan.

My email address: ((e-address deleted)) if you have info about this sighting.




NUFORC Note:

Source of report indicates that the date of the incident is approximate. PD


Posted 2009-03-19

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