AUSTRALIAN UFO REPORTS AND EXPERIENCES

1999 ISSUE ELEVEN
MARCH

Compiled by Robert Frola
Australian UFO research Network
PO Box 805 Springwood QLD 4127


EXCLUSIVE REPORT:

Aircraft Pilot encounters UFO near Wycliffe Well, Northern Territory

INVESTIGATOR: Keith Douglass

REPORT RECEIVED ON: 4th February 1999

DATE OF SIGHTING: 21ST July 1988

LOCATION: 25nm SSW of Wycliffe Well, N.T.

TIME: 35mins past first light

DURATION: +/- 10 minutes


The Report:

BEGINNING OF THE TAPED REPORT

Note: all identifiable information has been deleted. The witness wants to remain anonymous.

"The morning was clear with no clouds, no wind and good visibility. Returning to Alice Springs early on Sunday morning, on July 21st 1988. Flying in the aircraft reg. no:- xxx, at the required altitude of 5500ft, and have been flying for 35 minutes after day break in an S-SW direction.

After flying near Wycliffe Well (400 km north of Alice Springs and 25 nautical miles south of Wycliffe Well), I performed a regular DR (Dead Reckoning) check of my track, before the days of the G.P.S.

I looked down at the ranges, and saw a faint movement at about 450 angle from me, and sighted what appeared to be a dull silver frosty, disk/round object. I thought it may have been a balloon, as it was travelling quite slowly, and I could see an elongated shadow on the ground ..... The shadow was casted a fair way, gave the impression of a balloon, because of its oblong shape.

I called up Alice Springs Flight Service.

FROM xxx # Alice Springs. This is xxx 5500ft 25 nautical miles S-SW of Wycliffe Well. Do you have any known traffic in the area?

FROM A/S # xxx Wait out!

FROM xxx # Acknowledge!

FROM A/S # xxx This is Alice Springs!

FROM xxx # Copy!

FROM A/S # xxx re your last known traffic, confirm sighting and position of other aircraft!

Note: This I thought was a strange way of putting it. Normally the Flight Service would say.... Confirm position and apparent altitude of other aircraft.

At that particular moment, as I was flying over the top of it, the object of which I've been watching suddenly accelerated. It was heading towards some ranges 10 lm away as I was watching.... It accelerated rapidly towards the ranges, then curved to the right, as if to go parallel with the ranges. It turned on its side and it just vanished on the spot, in thin air!

FROM A/S # xxx Acknowledge

Waiting for my response

I was completely dumbfounded. I then realized I was in a very invidious position. I came back.

FROM xxx # Disregard. Appears it may have been an optical illusion.

FROM A/S # xxx Acknowledge: -

I continued on.... I put my flight in the logbook.

It took me weeks of agonizing about whether to write something or not. I did write it in a notebook, of which I still have. The object gave me the impression it was hearing the transmission, because as soon as we became a two party affair (A/S & xxx) <pause> When I was talking to someone, this thing suddenly went away in seconds.

When Alice Springs Flight Service said xxx, it was difficult to read (hear) the transmission. I also recall my N.D.B. Arrow (Non Directional Beacon) moved too the direction of the object on the right, and shortly after the object vanished, possibly after observing it for 5 minutes. Then the N.D.B. needle came back on track. The N.D.B only misbehaves in tropical storms, as the needle would point at the storm.

NOTE: Non Directional Beacon arrow points to where you are going.

The morning was clear, and I have flown over this area before with no trouble. The object had no visible markings, just a large, dull, silver frosty disc.... flying below the ranges and casting a large shadow beneath it. (Meaning it was close to the ground and was at least three times as large as a house.
END OF RECORDING


Keith Douglass reports that even 11 years later, the witness still seemed quite stunned by his sighting. He was skeptical up to this point. One curious point Keith makes out. Why didn't the object skip over the mountain ranges?

CREDIT: Diane Harrison, Australian UFO Research Network e-mail: tkbnetw@fan.net.au Sources for this issue: Keith Douglass, PO Box 3205, Alice Springs, NT 0871

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