Case Closed: MUFON Investigators close March 2014 cases – Part 2

West Virginians report ‘intelligent fireball’ UFO over small town

A West Virginia Dad in Sutton relates a UFO encounter his daughter and two friends had where a fireball-looking object appeared to move intelligently overhead, according to March 7, 2014, testimony in Case 54493 from the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) witness reporting database.

The father tells the story from his daughter’s point of view about the event, which occurred about midnight on March 2, 2014. West Virginia MUFON Assistant State Director Dennis Henshaw is investigating.

The daughter and two friends were on their way to pick up a friend from work when a bright light was first noticed.

“Light was bright enough to see from other lights,” the witness stated. “Stopped to see what it was and thought it was a meteor. It came down towards a plane, commercial type, and thought it was going to hit it. Fireball stopped as if to let plane pass, and then continued.”

The witness described the object.

“It made a zigzag pass, glowed brighter, and then dimmer. Had tentacles (shafts of light come out from top and bottom), shoot from top and bottom. It dimmed to almost nothing. We thought it was gone and then it came back on and finally disappeared behind the mountain.”

West Virginia Assistant State Director Dennis Henshaw investigated for MUFON. He has closed the case as Insufficient Information as it is a second-hand report and he was unable to make contact with the reporting witness.

Photo: Did disc-shaped UFO emerge from Indiana lake?

An Indiana witness at Salem reported finding and photographing a “large circle” on a frozen lake that was still visible three days after it was created, according to March 7, 2014, testimony in Case 54500.

No further information was available today on exactly how the circle was created “overnight on March 4, 2014,” but the reporting witness did provide one photo of the anomaly. The report implies that a disc-shaped UFO may have come up out of the lake or gone into it.

The witness photo is available on this page – or the original can be downloaded here.

“It was still visible on March 7, 2014,” the witness stated.

Indiana Field Investigator Patrick O’Brien closed the case as an IFO – Identified, Other.

“Water piped into the house via hose into pump, water cold from pond, back flow after each pump period flow back, water warmed to a degree to cause clash of warm/cold water forming the circle,” O’Brien stated in his report. “Consider the circle to be an IFO/Identified, Other.”

UFO drops quickly toward ground level over Wyoming interstate

Two Wyoming witnesses driving northbound along I-25 about 5 to 10 miles south of Cheyenne about 9:40 p.m. on March 6, 2014, reported watching three lights originally thought to be an airplane that quickly dropped and moved alarmingly close to their vehicle, according to testimony from Case 54501.

The two were returning from a trip to Fort Collins, CO, and were approaching Cheyenne when three lights in the sky were first thought to be a C130.

“It was coming south and started to bank towards the east,” the reporting witness stated. “I saw it rotate approximately 90-degrees such that a plane (let alone a large one) could not sustain lift. I immediately thought, whatever it was, it was going to crash. At that point the lights were straight vertical, with three lights up and down.”

As the object moved closer, they could see that it was not a plane.

“It started coming towards as we drove on the interstate northbound. I started to notice, as it got closer, that it was not a plane. I could not really see any structure. This may have been because the lights were bright, because I was driving, or because it did not have any.”

Then they noticed that the object was getting even closer.

“As it got closer to us it turned more horizontally (lights maybe 45-degrees or more) and started coming towards my truck that was travelling approximately 75 mph. My buddy started yelling at me to hit the gas pedal because we thought it was coming at us and would crash into the interstate.”

The object then appeared to be directly over their vehicle’s rooftop.

“Eventually the lights slowed down and whatever it was, was directly above my truck roof (which is opaque, no sunroof or anything). I rolled down my window and stuck my head out to see if I could see it in the rear, but my view was obstructed and I do not think anything was visible.”

Wyoming State Director Richard Beckwith investigated and closed this case as an Unknown.

“Due to the close proximity of the witnesses to the object, the description of the object itself, and the genuinely novel manner in which the object maneuvered, it would appear that an astronomical explanation for this event can be immediately ruled out,” Beckwith stated in his report.

“Likewise, explanations involving birds, insects, plasma or ‘earth’ lights from tectonic activity, etc., can all be ruled out on this basis. Likewise, because of the object’s description, its movement, and its unnervingly close proximity to the witnesses, satellites and rockets can be ruled out. The only thing that remains is some kind of aircraft, either an airplane or a helicopter.

“Whether it is an airplane or a helicopter, FAA regulations still require all aircraft to be equipped with certain colors of lights: red, green and white. This object had yellow lights flashing to yellow, and no red or white lights. Moreover, the object made no sound. Ne’er a sound could be heard, not even when the object was directly overhead. Absence of a regulated light configuration, silent operation and novelistic motion do not support a man-made explanation for the object.”

Former Navy serviceman reports UFO monitoring ship

A former Navy serviceman reported an encounter with a ball of light mirroring his ship’s course and speed during a multi-national naval exercise near the Hawaiian Islands, according to March 10, 2014, testimony in Case 54547.

The witness was in transit back to a San Diego home port from the RIMPAC multi-national naval exercises about 10:15 p.m. on August 4, 2010, when the events occurred.

“Course and speed was roughly 010 true @15 kits,” the witness stated. “I had just finished my watch in sonar control and went to the smoke deck on our starboard quarter (aka starboard break). I was not alone, however, I do not remember how many people or who was there that also witnessed the event.”

The witness described what he saw that night.

“I saw a medium-sized ball of light about 10 or 20 feet above water approximately 3 kyds away almost as soon as I got there. Initially I thought it was another ship that was also in transit and continued to observe it because, to my knowledge, we were alone in transit on our Pim. (Strike group commander set course and speed). It was mirroring our course and speed almost exactly with no discernible difference to our own for a period of about 15 minutes.”

The witness watched the light move.

“The ball then traveled very rapidly from a forward position relative to my ship to aft and then changed elevation and rose vertically nearly instantly to an elevation of about 200 feet or so from my perspective. It then appeared to mirror our course and speed from that elevation and follow us.”

The witness decided to report the event immediately.

“Startled and perplexed I put out my cigarette and went directly to the CIC (Combat Information Center) to report what I had seen to the CIC watch officer and radar operators. I told the CICWO my findings and was brushed off.”

But the conversation was overheard.

“I then went to the SPS-49 7 radar operator and he had apparently overheard my story. The petty officer on watch proceeded to show me that he had contact on the surface and air search radar that corresponded to what I had witnessed. He also told me that the same chain of events has been reported three other times by other individuals and had been occurring since our transit had begun two days prior.”

The witness is not sure if the events were officially logged.

“I do not recall if the incidents had been logged or not in the CIC watch contact log. I seem to recall being told by this petty officer that they were instructed to maintain contact and observe its movements, but don’t bother logging it as it didn’t appear hostile or of any interest. I was also told by him that the past two nights they had lost contact due to extreme elevation at about the same time each night – a few hours before dawn.”

The witness states that there were other reports of communications failure.

“Oddly enough during the actual RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific Exercise) exercises, my ship, as well as every other ship in our strike group, experienced strange connectivity and communication issues. An investigation was launched by the strike group commander under the premise that there was a suspected probe initiated by the Chinese on our entire strike group. I later discovered that the communications and systems phenomenon the ships experienced had no explainable origin and no evidence of an attack from a foreign nation was detected.”

Hawaii State Director David McManus investigated and closed this case as an Unknown.

“I might be tempted to believe this was some type of surveillance equipment (as the RIMPAC exercise is heavily monitored by China),” McManus stated in his report. “The witness states that this possibility was investigated and rejected. If this were a device under the control of a foreign power, the ship’s personnel (and especially a radar technician like the witness) would have been told about it.”

McManus said he interviewed the witness and believes he “appears to be highly credible.”

South Dakota witnesses say landed UFO killed dog

Witnesses in Watertown, SD, reported watching a Saturn-shaped light descend from the sky that landed, “engulfed” and eventually killed a dog before moving away, according to March 11, 2014, testimony in Case 54585.

The reporting witness and two friends first saw lights in the sky about midnight on February 28, 2014. Then the object moved to ground level.

“We saw this strange ghost-like thing engulf one of my friend’s dogs because it ran up barking at it.”

The witness said that after the light surrounded the dog – the dog collapsed.

“The thing hovered onto this planet-looking thing and took off.”

South Dakota Field Investigators Jim Klancnik and John Michael Kain followed up with a witness interview. The witness admitted the story was a hoax and apologized for filing the report.

Washington witness reports ‘huge ball of light’ hovering near I-5

A Washington witness at Burlington driving northbound along I-5 near the Cook Road exit reported a “huge ball of light” hovering over a nearby quarry about 6:35 a.m. on March 12 2014, according to testimony in Case 54614.

“I observed a huge light hovering above a rock quarry off Kelleher Road,” the witness stated. “It was a very bright white light like an LED- huge, big as a full moon appears when it’s full at like 10-15 degrees above horizon. Biggest and brightest thing I’ve ever seen in sky.”

The witness attempted to match what was being seen with a known object.

“As I looked at it I tried to rationalize what I was seeing, Maybe a helicopter with a new super bright searchlight of some kind? But no movement or flashing lights. Only saw it for about 30-45 seconds.”

The witness attempted to find the object again when he passed out of sight due to the roadway.

“I was going up Bowhill and the object was out of sight. I turned off at the next exit (Bow Hill) and drove south down Highway 99 until I got back to the flats so I could get another look at it.”

The witness also noticed police officers in the immediately area where the object was seen.

Washington Field Investigator Maurene Morgan closed this case as Insufficient Data.

“The witness describes the object as hovering, very bright, and as big as a full moon,” Morgan stated in her report. “This suggests that it was not natural. However, the presence of the two parked and unoccupied police cars suggests that the witness may have seen a helicopter with a search light obscuring its running lights hovering over the quarry in search of something.  Thus, it may be a manmade phenomenon.

“While no other witnesses reported this sighting, there was another sighting reported to the National UFO Reporting Center on April 14, 2014, of three metallic ovals in triangle formation moving at a rapid pace over Burlington.

“I’m concluding the case as insufficient information on the basis that the information is contradictory and lacking.”

Indianapolis crowd forms to watch hovering UFO

An Indiana parent and daughter driving northeast along Mann Road in Indianapolis reported joining nearly two dozen vehicles who pulled over to watch a huge, shiny disc-shaped UFO hovering nearby under 500 feet in the air, according to March 12, 2014, testimony in Case 54619.

The witness thought people were pulling over to watch the sunset, but then noticed people pointing into the sky and taking photos during the event, about 6:30 p.m. on November 11, 2013.

“I immediately pulled the car in the only space left in a driveway and immediately me and my daughter got out and we watched this beautiful gleaming spaceship just up in the sky,” the witness stated.

The witness could not take his eyes off of the object.

“I immediately felt a vibration start in the top of my torso and I felt a shiver work its way down all the way to my feet. My daughter watched it. I told her to get her iPad out and record. She did and it should be on this thing. My daughter got scared and wanted to go where the other people were, but I said I didn’t want to take my eye off it. Right then I turned toward my car door, looked back, and it was gone.”

The witness said jets moved into the area after the object left.

Indiana State Section Director David Henninger closed this case as Insufficient Information.

“Precise identification of the described object is unknown,” Henninger reported. “The object that Witness A reported seeing was corroborated by his daughter. The only description available was a shiny disc-shaped object in the sky. Precisely what the subject was is undetermined. Its shape and movements seem to indicate that it could not have been an airplane but it cannot be completely ruled out that it was not an airship or balloon.”

‘Glowing vertical cylinder’ reported over Arizona

An Arizona witness at Sahuarita reported a “glowing vertical cylinder” UFO with “rays of light poking out of it” that moved slowly overhead about 6:05 a.m. on March 12, 2014, according to testimony in Case 54651.

The witness was outside in the backyard “anticipating this object to return” after having seen it twice in 2012 and also on March 10, 2014, as reported in Case 54564. The witness details the current sighting from March 12.

“The object came from the west, no evidence of an engine, wings, nose, tail or rotors,” the witness stated. “It’s a vertical cylinder shape with what I can only describe as rays of light poking out of it. It moved silently and smoothly at approximately 15 mph.”

Attempts by the witness to photograph or videotape the object did not come out well.

“It also changed direction from heading east to northeast. I was able to finally take a picture but the camera was reading the background as black and the object turned out small. I am unable to transmit the picture since I am using an iPad, but could email it to someone through my husband’s computer if there’s any interest.”

The witness is hoping the object returns again.

“As the object moved further away to the northeast it got smaller due to the distance and then it just disappeared. I am hoping that it will come back maybe one more time but since its behavior is exactly like my sightings two years ago, I doubt that will happen, but I will be ready with the camera!”

Arizona Field Investigator Russell Azbill closed this case as an IFO – Identified Flying Object.

“Information obtained from spaceweather.com/flybys revealed that the witness’ sighting corresponded to the appearance of the International Space Station over her location,” Azbill stated in his report. “The flight path of the ISS corresponded to her report. After reviewing the case, I reached a disposition for this case as an IFO (International Space Station).”

Read the first part of this story here.