Sept. 1996 Investigation Reports
Oct. '96 Investigation Reports (Last Update= 1/5/98)
Nov. '96 Investigation Reports ((Last Update= 9/11/98)
Sept. 1996 Investigation Reports
Date of sighting: 9/28/96, 7:22AM CST
Place of Sighting: Northfield, MN
Local Evaluation: Unexplained MA1 (Maneuver of 1st kind). Possible
NEV. Significant.
Investigator: Joel Henry, Minnesota MUFON
Sighting Account:
The witness was heading East on Hwy 19, 1 1/2 miles west of
Northfield, MN and spotted the closely spaced contrails of an
unidentified jet aircraft (possibly military) suddenly shift
90 degrees to an almost completely vertical ascent from horzontal.
(Looking toward ESE). He thought this was a strange maneuver and
continued to watch from inside his vehicle (through windshield).
The jet was originally heading from SSE to ESE at 40 degree elevation.
It ascended 500-1000 ft. from approx. 6000 ft. level.
As the aircraft ascended, he noticed a shiny object heading SSW
from NNE towards the jet's path at approx. 7000 ft. (45 degree
elevation). He did not see where it came from, but watched as it
did a circular maneuver around and above the jet in a somewhat
erratic manner. The UFO seemed to wobble a bit and moved in short
unequal distances (jumps). It seemed to the witness that the jet
aircraft was giving chase. The UFO was moving much faster than the
jet and easily out-classed it. As the UFO did it's maneuvering, the
witness noticed it tilt a little revealing it's disk-like shape.
The UFO and jet were approx. ESE of the witness. The witness' view
was suddenly obscured by trees, so he was unable to see them from
that point on. Total time UFO witnessed: 40 seconds; 1 min. for the
aircraft.
The witness noted that the UFO did not resemble any aircraft
as it had no wings and no contrail of it's own. It also moved
in a manner unlike ordinary aicraft.
Both UFO and aircraft were very clearly visible. The aircraft
was approx. edge-on making it hard to identify. It was dark in
color, possibly black. The UFO was much brighter and at least
twice the size of the jet, possibly as big as a house.
Witness Description and Background:
35 year old white male, 20:20 vision. Good health. Employed in
technical job in the wafer fabrication field.
Education: 3 years training in the Army National Guard for
Radar Electronics. (Also included partial training as air
traffic controller). He was very familiar with military aircraft
having spent 3 years at a base in Georgia.
Additional Witnesses:
None known. Will continue to try to locate more witnesses if
possible.
Natural and Man-Made Phenomena Check:
Nothing likely due to location in sky and lack of clouds in the
area below the cloud ceiling level (overcast) was high (appox.
10000 feet). The MOON was in the West at 30 degree elevation
and the SUN was East at 25 degree elevation clearly visible to the
witness. No stars or planets still visible at the time of the
sighting. The sky in the area was clear between the witness and
the UFO. A check with the local radar facility in Farmington
showed nothing, but it was also reveiled that military aircraft
maneuvers are routinely ignored in records and only aircraft with
identifier beacons are documented. They do not ordinarily observe
radar "unfiltered".
Other Possibilities:
Unknown super-secret high tech military craft? Unlikely due to
shape and absense of wings and flight behavior.
Weather Data:
Overcast with breaks at 10000 ft. Clear below. 48 degrees F.
Visibility: 20 miles. Wind: 5-10 mph. No Precip.
Sighting Evaluation:
Due to known high honesty and reliability of witness, and background,
along with very little likelyhood of alternative identification
of the UFO, I believe this MA1 is a possible NEV (Non-Earth Vehicle)
and therefore Significant. The Witness had a good look and is certain
that the UFO was NOT an airplane or anything like one.
Oct. '96 Investigation Reports
SIGHTING REPORT: EDINA DAYTIME WHITE LIGHT
Date of Sighting: Oct. 10, 1996
Place of Sighting: Edina, MN
Investigator: Margaret DeHarpporte
Type of Report: FB1
Local Evaluation: Probable unexplained
Witness Description:
The witness is identified by the pseudonym "Opal Sites". Opal lives
with her husband and four children in a house in Bloomington. Opal
is currently working as a waitress, and has had two years of college
and 1 year of trade school. Opal is in good health and has normal
vision.
Opal has had what she refers to as " UFO dreams" since the age of 4.
These dreams have been numerous and vivid and continue occasionally
at the present time. Others of her family, including a sister, have
experienced unusual phenomena , and Opal and some of her siblings
share telepathic communication. Opal's children also share some
unusual experiences including what they refer to as "gray ghosties",
and other things. Two of Opal's children reported a sighting in
Nov. of 1996 which I investigated at this same interview.
Opal claims to not be interested in UFO s, rather her interest is in
parapsychology, but through talking to people about her unusual
"dreams", she has been encourage to look into her possible UFO
related experiences. Opal has undergone hypnotherapy to no avail.
She says she easily reaches the hypnotic state but then can go no
further. It's like a big block is there, she reports. She
alternately states" I deserve to know the truth", and "maybe I
don't really want to find out". She says she believes it's
terribly frightening and painful.
Sighting Background:
I interviewed Opal S. and two of her children. The results of
the interview follow in the report.
Sighting Account:
On Thursday, Oct. 10, 1996, Opal S. was driving South on Highway
100. The day was clear and sunny with no clouds. Approximately ¼
mile before the road sign saying "Benton Road 1/4 Mile", Opal saw a
bright light in the sky. Opal says she "doesn't watch the sky",
but the light was do brilliantly white you couldn't help but see
it. She said it looked like a "white sun, only smaller". The
light was described as "iridescent"," Brilliant", and "brighter
than white". The size was described as the size of her pinky nail.
Opal admitted to being really bad with sizes, but she said she
would say it was small when asked what she felt the size of the
light was. She added she felt it was "smaller than a standard
car". The light she saw was at "10:45" , and on her left, as was
the sun, which was at about "9:30". As she was watching the light,
a plane came towards her from her left, coming between the sun and
the brilliant light.
There was no motion observed nor was there sound detectable from
the light. Opal said it appeared to be perfectly round, and though
she saw no object, just light, she felt it was an object, "glowing
white, like when things are illuminated", and " a metal object with
reflecting". She took its distance to be maybe a mile to a mile and
a half up the road. It seemed to her that it might be over the
Pentagon Building on 76th and Highway 494. She doesn't recall actually
seeing the building, but that's where it seemed like to her.
Opal isn't sure how she lost sight of the light. At first said it
was just gone, then after thinking about it, said it was possible she
took her eyes off it to look back at the road, and in that time lost
sight of the light/object. She says she is a careful driver, but at
the time traffic was very light and no other cars were near her.
Weather Conditions:
Natural and Artificial Phenomena Check:
The reflection of the sun on the silver (white?) body of an aircraft
could produce a brilliant white light. Question as to whether the size
is appropriate.
Additional Witnesses: None known, though according to Opal's
description, it was so brilliant she didn't see how you could help
but notice it.
Sighting Evaluation:
Type: -FB1 (Flyby of the first kind)
Evaluation: Probable unexplained
Significance: Ordinary
Date of Sighting: 30 Oct, 1996 Time: 9:15 PM CST
Place of Sighting: Minneapolis, MN
Local Evaluation: FB1 - Possible unexplained pending further investigation
Date of Report: 18 Feb, 1997
Investigators: Craig R. Lang - Field Investigator
Margaret DeHarpPorte - Field Investigator
Type of Report: FB1 (large "object" seen in detail at moderate but unknown distance)
Witness Description:
The witness and her husband are identified by the pseudonyms and "Maureen
Nickerson" (pseudonym from UFO Roundup) and "Mark Styles" (assigned by CL).
They live in a house in Minneapolis and have a 2 year old daughter.
"Maureen" is a computer (PC - Novell) network administrator for an insurance
company in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. She has had four years of college
with a major in philosophy and some course work in computer science.
"Mark" is a musician. He has a 4-year degree in music, plus two years of
computer science at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis (Institute of
Technology). His primary occupation is taking care of their two-year old
daughter, plus playing Rock music.
Both report themselves to be in good health. The vision of both is extremely
nearsighted, but correctable to 20/20. Both wear eyeglasses or contacts, and
can see well when wearing them. In all cases the witnesses were wearing them
at the time of the sightings, except during the Oct 30 sighting, when he was
viewing the object through binoculars.
Maureen has been actively interested in UFOs for about a year or so - and had
a latent interest in the topic prior to that date. Mike is interested in the
possible "military aircraft" aspects of UFOs, but not in the field of UFOlogy
in general. They often observe the aircraft overhead and appear to know quite
a lot about them from casual observation. Maureen had a UFO sighting approx.
two weeks earlier. Mark has not had any other sightings.
Sighting Background:
This sighting was brought to our attention while following up the witness'
Fergus Falls sighting of October 18. When I called Maureen in regards to the
Oct 18 sighting, she also informed me of this sighting. During the witness
interview, we discussed both sightings. They indicated that they had observed
a large UFO while watching airplanes from their (large) kitchen window, which
overlooks downtown Minneapolis.
Subsequent Note:
Shortly prior to the completion of this report, the witnesses indicated that
they had seen a similar object, under similar viewing conditions on 18 Feb,
1997. A subsequent report will contain the details and analysis of this more
recent sighting.
Sighting Location:
The sighting occurred looking east from the a point in Northwest Minneapolis.
Click here for map.
Sighting Account:
The evening of Wednesday October 30, 1996 was extremely clear. The time was
about 9:15 PM. Maureen was downstairs, having just put their two year old
daughter to bed. She indicates that she "had an impulse" to come upstairs
and look out kitchen window - which she did.
The kitchen window of their house affords a magnificent view of the Minneapolis
skyline to their east. Mark and Maureen are avid sky and aircraft watchers.
Their window permits an excellent view of approach and departure paths to the
north from MSP airport. Maureen's attention was initially attracted by a star
which was alternately white/green/red [CL Note: probable twinkling star - would
have had to be 2nd magnitude or brighter - Aldebaran and El-Nath were rising in
the eastern sky at that time]. She watched the star for about 10 minutes - at
one point calling Mark up from basement. They both looked at it for a short time,
getting out a star map to determine what it was.
As they were watching the star, they were also observing air traffic. Aircraft
would pass right to left over tree line behind their house, then disperse to east
or west . They felt that there was alot of air traffic for Wednesday night [CL
Note: Approximately 9:00 PM is a busy departure time from MSP].
Suddenly Maureen said, "What's that coming over the trees...". They both observed
a strange "craft" in approximately the same part of the sky as the previous aircraft.
In one sense it seemed like this object was another aircraft. However, it seemed
larger and had a considerably lower flight path. While the other craft diverged
the south/north path, this object stayed at or below the treeline. [CL Note: this
object was distinct from the star Maureen had described earlier].
The object initially appeared in a dip in the tree line in the southeast direction.
This was just below the general level of the distant tree tops. Both got the
impression that it was between them and the Minneapolis skyline [CL Note: the
object apparently did not pass directly in front of the skyline, thus we can not
actually tell the relative distances].
Mark followed it with the binoculars [CL Note: 7X25 hunting binoculars], observing
it in considerable detail. He noted that it was large, nearly filling the
binocular field of view. He indicated that he "half expected to see passengers
or personnel inside" but did not see any. Mark felt that it had to be close to
be that clear and discernable - indicating that was probably not far beyond the
tree line. Maureen indicated that the angular size (Note: Mark had the binoculars
the entire time so Maureen's observations are all with naked eye) was comparable
to the length of her thumb when held at arms length.
The object had a dark triangular form. Mark described it as dark form, illuminated
by deep red lights. [Maureen described it as a dark burnt-orange or amber colored].
The configuration was that of three triangular fins, spaced 120 degrees apart.
Mark's impression was that each wing had a visible depth or thickness to it. Each
fin had red glowing areas (lights) that seemed to pass through the "fuselage".
Mark thought that he was seeing most of the top and lower left fins, and only a
small part of the bottom right. He could see two wing surfaces clearly, but the
front of the object was not visible. The surface was lit to some degree by the
red lights on each fin (Mark's Impression was that this was the only reason he
could see the surfaces). Mark indicates that he expected to see a tail on the
object (as in most airplanes) but that he could not.
Mark described the red light on each wing as intense - clear, like a neon light.
The color was a deep red. Rather than points of light such as running lights, the
lights were larger circles [disks]. Mark got the sense that they were translucent,
and went through the entire depth of the fin. Their intensity was constant over
entire time of the sighting.
No halo was visible on the object, although the light did illuminate the wing,
which allowed him to see the surfaces of the object. The red light did not project
onto the tree line, but it did filter through the trees. The light intensity was
roughly comparable to, not quite twice as bright as a street light visible about
two blocks away. He also felt that the angular width of each light was
considerably wider than a distant street light. He observed no visible vapor or
exhaust from the object. The object travelled along the tree line at a somewhat
slower rate than other aircraft. Its motion was smooth. Mark initially thought
that it was initially travelling somewhat towards them in the SE sky, than moving
perpendicular to them when in the due eastern sky. At the left edge (ENE sky) it
appeared to be receding slightly from the, affording a more rear-ward view.
Mark did not think that it ever changed altitude. Its elevation was only 15
degrees above horizon - just below the highest parts of the tree line. [CL Note:
In late Fall, there are no leaves on the trees, which allowed the witnesses to
see the object through the trees at the tree line]. They lost sight of the object
when it passed behind a higher tree on the left edge of tree line [CL Note: About
two blocks away, on the next street to the east]. They estimated that the object
took about 25 to 30 seconds to cross the skyline - about 45 degrees of angle.
Sighting Aftermath:
After the sighting, both Mark and Maureen agreed that the object "seemed odd".
They both assumed that it was probably some sort of "stealth" military craft,
because of angular shape of wings reminded Mark of stealth fighter [CL Note:
presumably means F117]. However, it seemed odd that it would be following the
same flight path as commercial craft. [CL Note: distance is a factor here. If
was relatively close, it would probably be well away from the commercial flight
paths, but probably below the legal minimum altitude for aircraft flying over
Minneapolis. If it was at higher distance/altitude, then the size of the object
would have been tremendous].
Mark thought that it was strange but not that exciting. How can something that
large fly that slowly... He said that he has been up in northern Minnesota hunting
and has seen military aircraft pass low overhead. He is therefore familiar with
them. He indicated that this object did not resemble any of those.
Mark later made a paper model of the object, which he gave to us. This paper model
is currently in my file on this sighting.
Weather Info:
Mark and Maureen stated that the weather was very clear at that time. They had
watched the moon come up. There were no clouds, and the moon was high in sky.
[CL Note: My astronomy database software (The Sky for Windows) indicates that moon-
rise was at 8:28PM, in the East Northeast. Thus it would have been just about
at that time]. Mark and Maureen also felt that there were alot of stars, especially
for the inner city, where they live.
Weather Info from Nat'l Weather Service:
Clear, visibility 10 miles, temp 27 F, wind from 290/13 kt, dewpoint 12F
Radar Check:
A check with the FAA indicated no unusual radar events reported at that time.
This eliminates any anomalous object above 500 feet of altitude which might be
detectable by radar.
Additional Witnesses:
None are known. However, the descriptions of the object and the apparent flight
path imply that the object should have been very noticeable by people in northern
to north-western Minneapolis. Thus the possibility is very strong that there are
unknown additional witnesses.
Natural Phenomena Check:
No known natural phenomenon would produce the object in this report.
Manmade Phenomena Check:
One hypothesis is that it could have been some type of advanced-concept aircraft
(This was Mark's assumption during the sighting). There are several military bases
in general proximity to the Minneapolis and St. Paul metropolitan area, making a
military craft a possibility. While an "advanced concept" aircraft is a possibility,
test flights at night over a highly populated urban area seem unlikely. However,
this possibility may warrant further investigation.
There is also the possibility that it could have been a lighter-than-air craft of
some sort. Unpowered baboons are not permitted over the city of Minneapolis, itself
- due to the high volume of traffic to and from MSP airport. However, powered
lighter than air craft are present occasionally. At approximately the time of the
sighting, a blimp which partially matches this description may have been in the area.
Note that the lighting on the object, as described by both witnesses, is not in
accordance with any accepted aircraft lighting, but may be in accordance with this
possible blimp. It was suggested that this blimp may have been the Family Channel
advertising blimp (the blimp mentioned above which was described to me). A check
with the marketing department of The Family Channel indicated that they discontinued
use of advertising blimps in 1995. A check of the operator of the Family Channel
blimp, The Lightship Group, indicated that they were not in the Minneapolis area at
the time of the sighting. They also indicated that they did not operate that far
north at that time of year. This rules out this particular blimp as a possible
explanation, as well as casting doubt on the likelihood of a blimp as the cause
of the sighting.
Analysis of Sighting Geometry:
Minneapolis has a minimum altitude of approximately 3000 feet for commercial air
traffic. The minimum altitude for small personal aircraft is 1000 feet. From the
radar report, it is known that no anomalous objects were detected. Thus the object
is either not detectable by radar, or it was below 500 feet of elevation - thus
hidden by the ground clutter.
Angular size was described by witnesses as being about the size of a thumb at
arm's length. This will be taken to be 1 inch at distance of 30 inches, or a width
to distance ratio of 1/30. The object was observed to cross 45 degrees of sky in
approximately 30 seconds. It will be assumed that the path was roughly perpendicular
to the witnesses at its point of closest approach - due east of the witnesses.
The following approximate calculations below give a rough estimate of the object's
size, distance and speed for two possible scenarios: an elevation of about 3000
feet (approximate minimum legal altitude), and an elevation was 500 feet (maximum
height to avoid radar). For all calculations, the object is assumed to be at
approximately 15 degrees of elevation above the horizon as viewed by the witnesses,
which roughly matches the descriptions of the flight path.
3000 Foot Elevation:
Horizontal Distance from witness = 3000 ft / tan(15deg)
= approximately 11,200 ft or about 2 1/2 miles.
Object length = 11,200 * 1/30 = 373 ft.
The distance travelled would be 2* 11,200 ft * sin (45deg/2) = about 8600
ft = approx 1.6 mi. The rate of travel would be 1.6 mi / 30 sec = 3.2 mi/min
= or approximately 190 mi/hr.
Note: This is a large object(!) and would have passed directly over downtown
Minneapolis. An anomalous object of that size, directly over the city, should
have been seen by other witnesses.
500 Foot Elevation:
Distance from witness = 11,200 ft * 500/3000 = about 1900 ft = approximately
1/3 mile or 3 to 4 blocks.
Object length = 373 ft * 500/3000 = approximately 62 ft.
The distance travelled would be 2* 1900 ft * sin (45deg/2) = about 1430 ft =
approx .27 mi. The rate of travel would be .27 mi / 30 sec = 32.5 mi/hr.
Note: This is a more reasonable sized craft. However, it would have been
anomalously slow and low to the ground. Such an unusual low-flying object
should have been seen by other witnesses.
Sighting Evaluation:
Type: FB1 (distance is not well determined)
Status: Probable Unexplained pending further investigation
Significance: The significance must be listed as ordinary. (Note: If other
witnesses can be found the significance will increase considerably).
Type of Report: CE1 - nocturnal light overflight of car.
Date of Sighting: 18 Oct, 1996 Time: 7:50 PM CST
Place of Sighting: Fergus Falls, MN
Local Evaluation: Possible Unexplained
Date of Report: Dec. 2, 1996
Investigators: Craig R. Lang - Field Investigator, Margaret DeHarpPorte - Field Investigator
(Minnesota MUFON)
Witness Description:
The witness is identified by the pseudonym "Maureen Nickerson". "Maureen" is a computer (PC - Novell) network administrator. She has had four years of college with a major in philosophy and course work in computer science.
Maureen, as well as her mother and brother, have been actively interested in UFOs. Maureen's interest has been active for about a year or so - and was a latent interest prior to that date. Her husband is interested in the possible "military aircraft" aspects of UFOs, but not in the field of UFOlogy in general. They often observe the aircraft overhead, and watch aircraft approach and depart Minneapolis airport. They appear to know quite a lot about them from casual observation.
Sighting Account:
Maureen Left the cities at about 4:15 PM driving to Fargo, ND to visit her Mother. With her in the car was her two year old daughter. It was a very clear, crisp Fall day. About an hour after leaving the twin cities, the sun set. She describes the night as being very dark with many stars clearly visible.
At an overpass [CL Note: probably County Hwy 20 at mile marker 67] near Dalton, MN. her attention was caught by an unusual appearing star to her right [at about 3-o'clock, with about 45 degrees of elevation]. It appeared to be a normal star off to her right of medium brightness. However it seemed unusual to her - appearing to pulsate in a manner different from normal twinkling. [CL Note: 3 o'clock view from NW bound I94 would have been to NE. The star might have been Mirfak or Capella]. As she watched, it initially seemed to keep pace with her car. At this point she felt that it was neither a star nor an airplane. After a few seconds, the object appeared to move ahead of her and cross I94 in front of her, but still at a distance.
The object appeared to speed up, moving ahead of her and apparently crossing the highway. At that point, she approached the underpass at about Mile marker 61, where County Hwy 12 passes over I94. As she moved under the underpass, she got the impression that the object was still at a moderate distance, appearing as a ball of white light. At this point, she determined that this could not have been an airplane or star. When she emerged from the underpass, the object was suddenly "right there" - nearly directly over her car. It initially appeared approximately overhead, then moved slightly ahead and to the left, remaining at about the 10 or 11 o'clock position.
The object was described as a large, roughly-circular mass of white light. It was sharply defined in the center and more diffuse around edges. [Note: Although the object was very bright, it did not appear to light up surroundings and was not painful to look at]. She estimated the object's angular size to be about the length of an outstretched hand at arms length.
Associated with the object were red and green lights which she described as narrow beams (about the length of a finger at arms length) moving about in an irregular or erratic manner. She got the impression that they emanated from on top of the object. There appeared to be two distinct sources, one for each color. She estimated that the sources themselves somehow moved with respect to the body of the object. She could see no other structures associated with the object.
The object initially passed over her car, then appeared to "hover" above, and slightly to the left (at about the 10 o'clock position) apparently matching the car's speed. She estimated the object to be "about 10 stories" above her [CL Estimate based upon her description is 100 to 150 feet]. She rolled down the window, stuck her head out and looked up. She noted that with her attention on the object, her car was swerving and the speed had dropped to about 50 MPH. She clearly noted that she could hear no noise from the object [CL Note: at least none audible over the road noise]. This lasted for what she estimated as a few tens of seconds. During this time, the colored beams which were originally on top of the object appeared to suddenly change such that they were now below the object - "as if the object had flipped upside down" [CL Note: the change in the lights left a momentary afterimage in her vision].
The object began to again move slowly to the left, across the highway. She could see it pass into the The motion of the object was described as "wandering", not in a hurry.
She describes herself as extremely excited as she watched the object. As it moved away from above her, she considered stopping [she had a cam-corder in the car] but decided it would be too dangerous to do so (she indicated that if her daughter had not been with her, she probably would have stopped). She instead kept on driving, keeping her eyes on the object (and trying to stay on road). She watched as it slowly "wandered" over the country side directly to her left [Nine-o'clock position]. The motion was "smooth" or "gliding", varying from a straight line, but not greatly so. She estimated that it made relatively small changes in direction about four to five times. The elevation above the terrain appeared to remain constant, at about the same level as during the flyover of her car. This continued for the next few minutes, until she lost sight of it.
After the sighting she noticed the dashboard clock indicated 7:48 PM. She also noted that she was on time arriving at her mother's house in Fargo. Thus, there does not appear to be any missing time.
Note: There was no apparent affect on the vehicle - the car has acted normally both during and after this event.
Weather Conditions:
Temperature: 48 degrees F.
Wind: 6 Knots out of SE.
Visibility: Unlimited
Skies: Clear, no clouds or ceiling
Moon first quarter was on Oct 19 - Thus on Oct 18, there would have been nearly a half-moon in the southwestern sky.
Natural Phenomena Check:
No known natural phenomena could produce these apparent effects.
Manmade Phenomena Check:
The existence of red and green lights, as well as the apparent path of the object might indicate an aircraft approaching Fergus Falls airport (see map below). The working hypothesis for this investigation was that such an approach would take an aircraft close to the interstate, at a speed similar to that of her car. This would make it appear to pace her car. The airport is approximately 1 mile to the left of the I94, with the landing strip oriented in a northwest to southeast direction. Thus the object's path would be compatible with an aircraft on approach. The "brilliant" white light might thus be a landing light from the aircraft.
This theory, however, does not account for the described erratic behavior of the red and green lights which the witness described. On aircraft, the red and green lights are in a fixed position. Additionally, the object was moving away from the car. Since aircraft landing lights point forward, this makes it difficult to account for the source of the object's reported brightness by this means. She also indicated that she observed no blinking white strobe lights, which would be present on an airplane approaching an airport. In addition, the subjective factor of the witness' impression must be considered. In this case, the witness felt that this object did not resemble an aircraft in any sense. While perhaps explaining some aspects of the sighting, in my view the aircraft theory does not account for the witness' overall description.
Additional Witnesses: No additional witnesses are known.
During the sighting Maureen noticed that there was not much traffic on I94. There was a good distance between her and cars ahead/behind. She does not remember anyone passing during the sighting.
However, the description of the object implies that it would be very noticeable. Thus the possibility is very strong that there are unknown additional witnesses. Late in the sighting, she remembered seeing another car in the oncoming direction. She also noted several cars on the county roads as the object moved off to the left. These would presumably also have had a good chance to see the object.
Sighting Evaluation:
Type: CE1: Close Encounter of the First Kind
Evaluation: Possible Unexplained
Significance: Ordinary
Nov. '96 Investigation Reports
Apparent Ground Traces assoc. with 11/96 CE4's (Added 9/11/98)
Note: This is part of: Eau Claire, WI CE4 Case Study (Added 9/11/98)
Sighting Report: Bloomington Daytime Flying Object
Date of Sighting: Nov. 3, 1996
Place of Sighting: Bloomington, MN
Investigator: Margaret DeHarpporte
Type of Report: MA1 (Maneuver of the first kind)
Local Evaluation: Unexplained
Witness Description:
I have included both witnesses in this one report and I
interviewed them separately. Witness no. 1 will be referred to as
Child C; Witness no. 2 will be referred to as Child A. Witness Child
C is an eight year old girl. She is one of 4 children living with
their parents in a house in Bloomington. She lives in an atmosphere
where there is reference to UFO-type phenomena as her mother has had
what she calls "UFO dreams" since her childhood and has undergone
hypnosis in order to try to find out just what the "dreams" might
signify. Other of her siblings have also had unusual dreams and
experiences possibly related to UFO phenomena.
Witness Child A. is the 12 year old sister of Child C. Her home
atmosphere is the same as her sister. Both are school students and
are in good health with normal vision.
Sighting Account:
Child A and Child C were in a car being driven by their mother on
their way home from church on Sunday, the time being approximately
12:50 PM. It had rained earlier and was clearing, with some clouds
remaining. The car was traveling East on Highway 494, and both
children saw the object at the same time. Their mother did not see
the object, as she was driving and couldn't take her eyes off the
road long enough to look where the girls were telling her to look.
Child C says she first saw the object "two bridges before Southgate.
As soon as we came out of the trees".(meaning as soon as they had
passed the grove of trees that was in the distance, to the right
side of the car). She saw, on her right, or to the South, the
"spaceship thing with red and yellow flashing lights." She said
it was really high above the trees and moved with them. Then she
"lost it", until she once again saw it above Southgate. (Southgate
is a multi story office building with a restaurant, Bilibong's,
on the lower level). Child C said the object was circling over the
top of the building. She said it was circling around the "antenna"
thing (red beacon to alert aircraft), making "medium circles" above
it. It went down, then up, then down, then up and then "kind of
just went away". "Just went up, up, in a cloud and when the cloud
went away, it was gone." The object had red and yellow lights which
blinked. Blue lights on it went on and off . The yellow lights were
smooth, but the blue lights were "bumpy". The object was described
as black on bottom, and clear on top. Child C stated she saw a
"black speck" in the domed top of the object. When I asked what she
felt the black "speck" could be, she replied she thought it was a
little control thing. The witness stated she thought it seemed about
the size of a van. It looked like it was really rough (texture) on
the blue lights , like little bumps, and the rest was really smooth.
The blue lights were circles and the yellow lights were oval shaped,
and the whole thing moved like it was floating. When I asked if she
could tell me what it looked like to her she replied it "looked like
an alien spaceship"
Witness Child A gave a very similar description, but was able to
give an approximate fix as to how high in the sky the object was.
She indicated it was about 45degrees from the horizon and stayed at a
pretty steady height. Child A stated she saw the "UFO" in the trees
on the right side of 494, before the Southgate building. She described
it as a " circular shape with a half moon like top on it". She stated
when she first sighted the object" it went up, then back where it was,
then I don't know where it went". Then when they got by Southgate she
saw "another one" above the building, "just staying there". "it had
red and yellow flashing lights -they were blinking." She states she
looked away and it went away -" anyway I didn't see it any more".
The first one (viewed over trees) had 2 yellow lights on one side: no
lights then 2 red lights, that stayed on the whole time. Then when
the object was near the top of the trees it switched off-- - to
sometimes being yellow. Also some lights didn't blink - 2 red and 2
yellow. The dome was a color, she said, but couldn't remember what color.
Said maybe it was blue or darkish yellow-orange. It looked clear enough
to see through. The size was estimated to be "pretty big", "Like a jet
or good sized plane".
Click here for image of drawing of object by Child A.
Click here for image of drawing of object by Child B.
Weather conditions:
Natural and Artificial Phenomena Check:
No known natural phenomena that fits description.
Manmade Phenomena Check:
There are at least two car dealerships very near this area. I
stopped in at each of them and they said they do occasionally have
large tethered helium balloons just outside their building, and
also occasionally have had inflated animals ( namely a large blue
elephant), none would fit the description of the sighting, and
certainly those objects would not be free floating. I also checked
with the Bloomington town offices, and they checked their records,
finding no permits for anything of the nature of a floating or flying
blimp or balloon on any other like object on or around the date of
this sighting. City regulations governing such objects are quite
strict. I also spoke with personnel in the management office of
Southgate and no one could recall any promotional balloons or the
like, once again citing the strict city regulations. Also, on
Sundays, the offices that make up most of Southgate's occupants are
vacant, with only the restaurant being open. I spoke with the
restaurant manager who stated they had not used any inflatable or
floating devices, nor had anything been sighted of that nature.
Additional Witnesses: No additional witnesses are known. However
this is a heavily trafficked route, and there are several restaurants
in close proximity with many people in and out throughout the day, and
the object in question seems like something quite noticeable.
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