Flying Saucer News Bulletin - No 06

Magazine Overview

Title: FLYING SAUCER NEWS BULLETIN
Issue: NO. 6
Date: March, 1957
Publisher: BRITISH FLYING SAUCER BUREAU
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English

This issue of the Flying Saucer News Bulletin, published by the British Flying Saucer Bureau, focuses on two significant aerial phenomena cases. The cover features a stylized drawing of a winged disc and the main headline highlights a "REMARKABLE NORWEGIAN NEAR-LANDING CASE OF 1954 NOW PUBLISHED."

Remarkable Norwegian Near-Landing Case of 1954

The article begins by referencing an abstract from C.S.I. News-letter No. 7, edited by Lex Mebane, which presents a case originally published in SIR! magazine in March 1957. The report is based on an account by Norwegian newspaperman Oddvar Larsen, who believes the sighting to be authentic. The bulletin's research section attests to Larsen's credibility.

The incident occurred on November 23, 1954, a period noted for significant sightings in France, Italy, and Brazil. The witnesses were three young girls: Anne (10 years old), Tora Storedal (9), and Tora Moy Haugo (9), from Torpo in the Hallingdal district of Norway. As they were returning home from school, a black object descended rapidly from the sky, knocking snow from treetops and stopping a few feet above their heads.

The girls described the object as "like a stone...like a ball...about ten feet across." The lower part was black but trimmed with yellow spots, possibly made of glass. There were also "small, red jags." The upper part was transparent, allowing the trees to be seen through it. A pilot, described as human or semi-human, was visible inside, operating controls. This entity was dressed in black and had "big eyes, covered by a pair of immense, red glasses," through which it looked directly at the girls.

After the observation, the craft ascended with a droning sound, brushed a high-tension line, and emitted sparks. An odor, compared by Tora Moy to "fried sausages" (possibly ozone), filled the air, prompting the girls to flee.

Larsen was initially skeptical but became convinced after hearing tape recordings of an on-the-spot investigation. Tora Storedal provided a detail about the object's tail: "When the stone came down toward me it had a long, white tail behind, but when the stone turned and moved away, the tail went first. That was funny, I thought."

A disturbed track in the snow, 25 yards long, was found and photographed, presumably made by the craft. The Research Section states it cannot officially endorse the case but finds Larsen's writing and the reported evidence to be good.

A parallel is drawn to the Hemmingford, Quebec landing of August 28, 1954, where a spherical craft and tall, black-clad occupants with "big round eyes" were reported. The acceptance of the Hemmingford case also relies on the witnesses' apparent honesty and sanity, as documented in a taped interview facilitated by investigator Dr. A.G. Dittmar of Au Sable Forks, N.Y.

Report on Van Winkle Sighting

This section details an incident that received wide newspaper coverage, investigated by the Research Section as representatives of NICAP and CSI. The account is an abstract from C.S.I. Newsletter No. 7.

On March 8, 1957, a few minutes before midnight, Captain Matthew ("Rip") Van Winkle was piloting Pan American Airlines Flight 257 from Idlewild Airport to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The crew included Co-pilot Dion W. Taylor, Flight Engineer John Washuta, and stewardesses Julie Santiago and C. Silva. The flight carried 44 passengers.

The flight was routine until 3:33 a.m. EST, when the plane was about 650 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida, flying at 19,000 feet. Van Winkle and Washuta simultaneously observed a brilliant light to their right, about 80 degrees off course. Van Winkle initially perceived it as an orange glow, but it quickly assumed the appearance of a round, brilliant greenish-white "spotlight," almost as large as a full moon.

The light had a clear, well-defined edge. Washuta described it as "rim-like" around the edge, with the rim reflecting a greenish color and the center being brilliant white. It appeared as if a spotlight were directed in front of them, not directly into the source.

Van Winkle initially considered it a jet interceptor with a spotlight but dismissed the idea due to the light's brilliance and the typical behavior of interceptors. The object appeared to be about airplane size and no more than half a mile away, heading horizontally towards his plane on a collision course.

Within two seconds, Van Winkle performed a violent evasive maneuver, climbing 1500 feet in seconds. In concentrating on flying the plane, he lost sight of the object. News accounts incorrectly reported that the object slipped by under his wing; Van Winkle clarified it was hidden by his right wing as it ascended.

Washuta, seated in the cockpit, had a better view and observed the light for about four seconds before it "went out." By the time Van Winkle righted the aircraft, the light was gone. Neither the co-pilot nor the passengers saw it.

The incident caused pandemonium in the cabin. Passengers not wearing seat belts had hit the ceiling when the plane dropped. Three people were injured: Miss Santiago (possible concussion), Mrs. Abraham Gitlow (possible broken rib), and Monserrate Soto (unspecified injuries).

Miss Silva and the co-pilot attempted to calm passengers, but Van Winkle's voice over the loudspeaker was most effective. Passengers seemed to calm down upon learning a UFO was responsible.

Immediately following the incident, Van Winkle's radio became active with reports from at least six other aircraft that had seen the object. These aircraft were flying roughly SSE on the same route, spanning an area over 300 miles long.

• Capt. Ed Perry (PAA Flight 269) at 31° 35' N, 70° 50' W, flying at 19,000 feet, saw the object to the WSW. He described it as "almost a magnesium flash, white with pale greenish tints," moving at a "terrific speed."
• Capt. D. Shrum (PAA Flight 257-A) at 15,000 feet, flying 15 minutes ahead of Van Winkle, did not notice the object.
• Capt. Robert Wyland (PAA Flight 215) at 28° 20' N, 68° 15' W, flying at 17,000 feet, saw the object to the west. It appeared as a bright light that grew in intensity, described as "as large as a full moon at the zenith." It was greenish-blue at the perimeter, blending into a white center. Wyland noted a definite reddish tinge to the tail or rear portion, and a piece estimated at 10% of the whole seemed to fall off, being reddish in color. He observed it for two to five seconds.
• Capt. Ken G. Brosdal (PAA Flight 215-A) at roughly 27° N, 69° 20' W, flying at 19,000 feet, did not see the object at 3:33 a.m. but had seen something identical almost two hours earlier. His flight engineer, Richard Smith, saw the object in both incidents.

Richard Smith observed the 3:33 a.m. object to the west, appearing parallel to his plane's direction. He described it as "a dime held at arm's length," round, with "smooth" edges, and brilliant greenish-white in color. A slight projection at the rear detached and turned red as it fell. The main section then began to arc downward and suddenly went out. Smith did not believe it was a meteor.

Almost two hours earlier, around 12:45 a.m., Brosdal and Smith had seen a similar object, described by Brosdal as "smaller than a full moon," streaking north or NNW. This object had a red tail-like projection that dropped off like a flare, while the green main part continued horizontally. Smith thought it disappeared into clouds, though later checks indicated few clouds.

Several other aircraft also reported observing the phenomenon: an unidentified Pan-American flight, an Eastern Airlines pilot who thought it was a two-stage rocket, and a Trans-Caribbean pilot who identified it as a meteor. The bulletin notes difficulty in contacting these pilots.

The testimonies suggest the object was much farther away than initially realized, with an angular measurement of about half a degree from widely separated points, indicating an exceedingly large object. Calculations suggest a diameter in excess of three miles, though this is noted as potentially misleading for luminous bodies.

While the scale of the phenomenon is suggestive of a meteoric fireball, none of the four primary witnesses (Smith, Brosdal, Wyland, Van Winkle) believed it was a meteor. They cited the absence of a visible tail, the quality of the "contained" light versus a fireball, and its horizontal trajectory at low altitudes as reasons for their disbelief. The chances of seeing two such similar "meteors" in the same area within two hours are deemed "astronomical."

The object appeared for only five seconds, typical of meteors, but exhibited no controlled maneuver, and the wide observation area is more typical of fireballs. The bulletin concludes it was neither a "normal" UFO nor a "normal" fireball, but suggests it could be classified as a "green fireball," noting similarities to other sightings, including one on May 8, 1952, and an orange-green light seen by PAA pilots on April 23, 1954.

Additionally, on March 25, 1957, Captain E. Munson piloting PAA Flight 216 reported a daytime sighting along the same route.

Sources for the March 9 sighting include the N.Y. Times, N.Y. Mirror, N.Y. Journal-American, and INS reports, as well as assistance from Bill Nash of PAA and Chris Pantages of Riddle Airlines.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The bulletin consistently presents detailed accounts of UFO sightings, emphasizing witness testimony and investigative efforts. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious inquiry into unexplained aerial phenomena, seeking to document and analyze cases without immediate dismissal. There is a clear effort to corroborate reports through multiple witnesses and to compare them with known phenomena, while also acknowledging the limitations of current explanations. The publication seems to lean towards the idea that these events are not easily explained by conventional means, such as meteors or aircraft, and explores possibilities within the UFO field, including comparisons to "green fireballs."