TUFOIC Newsletter - No 063 - July 1991

Magazine Overview

This document is the July 1991 edition (Edition 63) of the "TASMANIAN UFO INVESTIGATION CENTRE NEWSLETTER". It provides a mid-year summary of UFO activity, focusing on reports from Australia and other parts of the world. The publication is from the Tasmanian UFO Investigation Centre and is written in English.

Mid-Year Summary

The "Mid-Year Summary" section notes that UFO activity in the local Tasmanian scene has not changed, while European flaps from 1989-1990 seem to have faded. The author expresses disappointment that excellent sightings over Belgium did not generate wider interest, with one US skeptic reportedly calling them a hoax by the Belgian Air Force. The focus for US investigators appears to be on crashed UFOs, abductions, and secret documents. There has been no news from Britain regarding UFOs, and anticipation is expressed for potential events in British cornfields in 1991.

On the Australian scene, there have been no major events reported, with most reports being of nocturnal lights. The Centre has received a number of older sighting reports and a few recent reports of lights in the sky. The media has not covered local UFO sightings, although a Sunday paper on April 7th reported on a "mystery space object" over Tasmania. Hobart Police received a report of a mass of light descending into the Derwent River. A police search found nothing, and it was suggested that the re-entry of the space shuttle Atlantis' fuel tank was responsible. However, the fuel tank had reportedly burnt up in the Northern Hemisphere. The TUFOIC contacted witnesses, and their descriptions indicated the event was likely a meteor or space junk re-entry.

The newsletter also announces an upcoming seminar in Sydney on September 7/8th at the "Sebel Townhouse", titled "The UFO Mystery". It will feature Australian and overseas speakers, including Jenny Randles (England) and Jerone Clark (Centre for UFO Studies, USA), with support from Keith Basterfield (UFO Research Australia) and Bill Chalker from New South Wales. Contact TUFOIC for more information.

News Snippets

Two news snippets are included:

Plane wrecks may be 'lost squadron'

A report from Miami states that the mystery of the "lost squadron" that vanished 45 years ago in the Bermuda Triangle may be close to being solved with the discovery of five navy aircraft sunk off Fort Lauderdale. These disappearances contributed to the myth of the Bermuda Triangle.

Florida aircraft find not lost squadron

This follow-up report from Miami clarifies that the five Avengers found off Fort Lauderdale do not belong to Flight 19, the "Lost Patrol". This failure to find the Lost Patrol is considered good for business by salvagers like Scientific Search Project. Author Charles Berlitz expressed delight, calling it a "twilight zone". The report notes the planes were found too close to shore to be the Lost Patrol.

SIGHTING INVESTIGATIONS

This section details several UFO sighting investigations:

Old Case from July 1980

Two witnesses travelling on the Tasman Highway to Hobart reported seeing a triangle shape of red lights to the west. The lights shot off towards the north west. Later, as they crossed the Sorell Causeway, a similar light approached from the northern sky. An object materialised, described as oval, white with five large red lights around its base, estimated to be 5m across and 10-30m above their car. It moved off to the south east and then vertically into the sky, disappearing in a second. The witnesses went to Hobart Airport but found no aircraft.

January 1988 Incident

A witness in Ilfraville saw a round or disk-shaped object with a silvery colour, stationary over the hills. The object departed upwards at great speed and vanished from sight. It was estimated to be above the elevation of the distant Asbestos Range.

Late 1989 Sighting

A witness near Lorinna reported seeing an erratic light crossing the sky, dropping down in front of a hill, curving around it, and then reappearing and moving away over the north east horizon.

Sketch of UFO as seen over car

A sketch depicts an oval object with lights around its base.

TWO REPORTS FROM 1990

This section presents two cases from the 1990 Annual Report that were not previously covered:

August 2nd, 1990 Sighting

On the west coast near the Rebecca River, a witness on a fishing boat saw what he initially thought was a speeding vehicle over sand dunes. He realised it was not a vehicle due to its speed and location. The object was described as squarish with a slightly bullet-like front, silvery-grey in colour with a similar coloured tail, making the rear indistinct. It moved south, dipping behind dunes and reappearing, and was in view for about 20 seconds before disappearing. The witness was baffled by its rapid disappearance.

Tasman Peninsula Sighting

Workers at a chicken farm on the Tasman Peninsula reported seeing a mass of bright lights crossing the eastern sky at 2 am on a fine but partly cloudy night. Four witnesses saw the lights moving silently across the sky for 2-3 minutes towards the north east. The lights were described as bright white lights at the front of some 15 to 20 other white lights. Some witnesses saw no pattern, while others noted two humped areas above the base. Enquiries at Hobart, Launceston, and with the RAAF revealed no known aircraft movements in the area.

Secret look at circles

A brief news item from London reports scientists launching a five-week vigil in southern England to solve the mystery of symmetrical circles in fields of grain, using various scientific equipment. It mentions that popular newspapers have suggested they are formed by aliens.

World News

Pilot reports close shave with mystery missile

A report from London details an incident where a missile narrowly missed a passenger jet flying towards Heathrow Airport. Aviation experts are puzzled as nearby military airfields confirmed using only anti-tank versions of missiles, which stay close to the ground. The incident happened two weeks prior when Captain Achille Zaghetti of a McDonnell Douglas MD80 reported seeing a three-metre long, light brown, cylindrical object travelling towards his plane at a higher altitude. Air traffic controllers at West Drayton also picked up the object. An inquiry was launched, but the Ministry of Defence stated that Lydd firing range does not use missiles capable of flying at such a height, and only anti-tank weapons are used there.

NASA SCIENTIST TRACKS PILOT REPORTS

This article highlights Richard Haines, a NASA scientist who has been tracking over 3,000 UFO sightings reported by pilots (military, civilian, and commercial) over the past 20 years. Haines initially tried to explain these phenomena as strange lighting but, after examining the data with an open mind, concluded that "we are facing something totally different."

Airline pilot spots UFO

A report from Sunday Mail, Glasgow, Scotland, details British Airways Captain Mike D'Alton, who has been flying for 23 years, spotting a UFO. He described it as a large silver disc with three points of light in arrow formation at the front and a fourth light behind. He stated it must have been travelling at phenomenal speed. His co-pilot and two cabin crew also saw the object, which ground radar could not pick up. Captain D'Alton has reported the sighting to the UFO Society Research Association.

EARTHQUAKE LIGHTS OBSERVED IN CANADA

Numerous earthquake lights (EQLs) were reported in the Saguenay region of Quebec between November 1, 1988, and January 21, 1989, associated with seismic shocks. Observers reported silent sparkings, diffuse glows, and aurora-like stripes. M. Ouellet is quoted describing "fireballs a few metres in diameter" popping out of the ground and others seen higher up, stationary or moving, with some observers describing "dripping luminescent drops."

AN UNEXPLAINED EVENT

This section describes an event on September 6, 1990, in Hornchurch, England. Mr Scarlioli observed an object approximately 0.5-0.75 the size of the Full Moon, dull and mottled red, of irregular shape, crossing the sky from west to east in about 3 seconds. It faded away as it approached the Moon. No trail or sparks were observed, and no sound was heard. The event is currently unexplained.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, pilot reports, and unexplained aerial phenomena. The newsletter consistently presents detailed accounts of these events, often from eyewitness testimony, and includes investigations into their potential causes. There is a clear stance of open-minded inquiry, as evidenced by Richard Haines' quote about looking at data objectively. The publication aims to document and analyze these phenomena, encouraging readers to submit their own sightings. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious investigation into UFOs, treating them as a genuine subject of study rather than dismissing them outright.