MUFON Missouri newsletter - 2012 08

Magazine Overview

This issue of the Missouri MUFON Newsletter, Volume II Issue 5, dated August 2012, focuses on "Unexplained Balls of Light in Missouri." The newsletter covers recent sightings and investigations by the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) in the state.

Unexplained Balls of Light in Missouri

The lead article details a two-year trend of reported strange balls of light in the greater Kansas City area. Reports vary from tiny white lights near the ground to large orange fireballs 60 feet off the ground. Since June 2012, multiple reports describe red or orange/red objects that change formations and remain at the same altitude. Witnesses describe formations like V, X, triangles, lines, and circles, with some believing they are lights on a craft and others seeing them as independent orbs.

One witness from Independence, Missouri, reported an incident on June 26th. Initially mistaking a bright light for a B-2 Stealth Bomber, the witness later saw a bright white light hovering about 200 feet above the ground near Lake City. The object was described as larger than a star or planet, extremely bright with a red glow. After being observed for about 10 minutes, the object shot straight up at high speed, then moved south, west, and back to its original location without sound, before moving east and out of sight. The witness emphasized it was not a plane or helicopter due to its speed and silence.

Separate reports mention single objects with blue, red, and white lights seen in Blue Springs and Independence. These objects appear between dusk and 3 AM, are stationary, round or triangular, and flash lights in sequence, suggesting a mechanical nature. These were witnessed by KCTV 5 reporter Dave Jordan, his cameramen, and about 15 neighborhood residents in north Blue Springs during May 2012.

New Witness Comes Forward in Year 2000 Mass Sighting in Illinois—and now Missouri

This section details a report from a man who contacted MUFON about a sighting he had in the year 2000. The witness, an Assistant Fire Chief at the time, was on I-44 Highway near Union, Missouri, when he heard law enforcement discussing an unidentified object. He then saw a large triangular craft with lights pointing down over a Wal-Mart, traveling at approximately 25-30 MPH. The object was about 500 feet above the ground and its lights stopped about 100 feet above the ground. The witness, along with two officers, followed the object for about an hour as it headed towards Washington, Missouri. The object hovered, moved slowly, and prevented radio communication. It eventually moved into an area SE of Washington, MO, over farmland, where it could no longer be followed. The witness surmised the object from Illinois continued into Missouri.

Balls of Light, continued...

This section continues the discussion of "Balls of Light" sightings. Reports from the K.C. area have been covered by KCTV 5 and CNN. Unusual aspects include extremely bright lights, remaining stationary for hours, and then disappearing or moving at high speed. Objects have been mistaken for planets or stars but dismissed due to their movement and disappearance. Lights have been appearing off and on since late April. One witness reported a large yellow ball of light, approximately 6' in diameter, moving slowly through trees and then shooting straight up.

Another witness describes seeing strange lights for six months, observing three lights in a triangle formation. The lights changed colors and were seen multiple times. A case from St. Louis County (#41138) involved a beam of light going from one object to another, making the second object disappear. This event lasted only seconds.

Another case (#41088) from St. Louis County describes a "traveling star/satellite" that was illuminated by a "brighter star" with a focused beam of light for 3-5 seconds before the "bright star" disappeared. The witness stated the "bright star" was not an airplane due to the absence of flashing lights.

Most sightings in Missouri are concentrated in Blue Springs, Lee's Summit, Independence, and Kansas City North, totaling 34 sightings in the greater K.C. Area. An additional 16 reports are divided across the state. A recent report on mass sightings in the St. Louis area in 2000 is mentioned but not included in the total numbers.

MUFON Reports for July

International Director Dave McDonald presents state totals for July. California reported 100 sightings, followed by Missouri with 63, Michigan with 59, and Texas with 47. The United States had a total of 850 reports, with Canada at 48 and the United Kingdom at 8. The report also categorizes sightings by "Shape of Object," with "Sphere" being the most common (305), followed by "Circle" (189) and "Star-like" (155). "Fireball" (143) and "Triangle" (106) are also significant. Notably, there were 17 "Landings, Hovering, or Takeoffs" reported and 0 "Entities observed."

Pilot Reports UFO on Approach to KCI Airport - Sightings on the Rise Again in Missouri

This article details an incident on July 30, 2012, where a commercial airline pilot reported an unidentified object following his aircraft on approach to KCI Airport. The pilot, a former military pilot, described the object as silver/gray with blue/white lights, disc-shaped with a low dome. It was approximately 300 feet from the aircraft and followed at the same speed before suddenly moving underneath and then accelerating south at a very high rate of speed, faster than any known aircraft. The pilot chose not to report it to the tower due to concerns about losing his job, but noted that other crew members also saw the object. The object stayed with the aircraft for about 22 minutes. The article also mentions that Missouri MUFON received 61 reports in July, with 38 in the greater K.C. area, and investigator Larry Jordan and ASD Margie Kay are investigating a case in Independence where a witness obtained three hours of video.

Travis Walton Event

An advertisement announces a MUFON Monthly Meeting in Liberty, Missouri, on September 3, 2012, featuring Travis Walton, author of "Fire in the Sky." The event includes dinner, a movie screening of "Fire in the Sky," a presentation by Travis Walton, and a book signing. MUFON members pay $16.00, and non-members pay $20.00.

Your Experiences WANTED

A section encourages readers to send their UFO encounter stories to Margie Kay for future publication in the Missouri MUFON News.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the prevalence and variety of unexplained aerial phenomena reported in Missouri, particularly "balls of light." The newsletter highlights the efforts of MUFON to collect and investigate these sightings, emphasizing the need for more detailed witness accounts, photos, and videos. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry and data collection, acknowledging the unusual nature of many reports and the difficulty in identifying them, while also maintaining a cautious approach due to potential misidentifications (e.g., sky lanterns) and the personal risks witnesses may face.