Background

This case was submitted to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on August 3, 2018. It was assigned to investigator Paul Wright for analysis and investigation.

Witness Testimony

The witness submitted the following report:

“Went outside to leave for work and looked up and their it was.”

The Evidence

The witness submitted the following video with their short testimony above. It is offered here, unedited:

The Analysis

By Paul Wright, TBV Investigations

Using just the video evidence and no further contact with the witness since initial report submission, I will attempt to identify what the witnesses observed based on the following facts along with the witness statement.

The footage provided makes it difficult to ascertain direction, height, speed or reference for scale. 

My first approach was to scan the metadata contained within the video, all seems ok and intact.

The video shows a cluster of white and red lights with a flashing sequence. In my opinion they closely resemble aircraft lights and if you listen carefully you can hear some aircraft engine noise. The light formation and flashing sequence indicate landing / takeoff lights. 

See images below sourced from http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/electronics/q0263.shtml for the layout of lights on a commercial aircraft.

Example photograph of Boeing 737 showing common types of lights placed on aircraft sourced from http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/electronics/q0263.shtml

Google Maps was used to locate the witness sighting position, and to search the local area for airports.

Stellarium was used for the night sky date of 08/02/2018 5:00 AM to check for celestial objects. Direction of sighting unknown, therefore N,E,S,W images are included. See images below.

Weather for Springfield as 08/02/2018 5:00 AM – link here to Wunderground Belfontaine Weather Station
https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/us/oh/bellefontaine/KEDJ/date/2018-8-2

Flight Radar historical data could be used in this case, however the direction of the sighting is unknown.

Conclusion

Based on the witness description and video evidence, I am inclined to say this is likely an aircraft either in approach to land or climbing after takeoff from one of the airports around Springfield, Ohio. 

Additional Information

Meta Data

The post UFO over Springfield, Ohio – August 2, 2018 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO over Springfield, Ohio – August 2, 2018 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was submitted to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on May 19, 2018. It was assigned to TBV Investigations’ researcher Michael Glenn for analysis.

Witness Testimony

The witness submitted the following report:

“At approximately 19:30 on May 17, 2018 I saw something extremely bright horizontal to the setting sun. I’ve seen sundogs before and have many photographs of them. This was no sundog. It hung in the air. It was huge. It had a shape. I ran inside and grabbed my phone and snapped a few shots. I also manipulated a couple of them and brought out what looks like a glowing cigar shape object of some kind. I took a few close ups and a couple of wide angles. I have to say I was amazed. I also caught a secondary object that looks geometrical with antennae protruding from the corners when you zoom in on one of the frames. Look at the photographs and you tell me what that is in the sky. Feel free to download and examine them for yourselves.”

The Evidence

The witness also submitted many photographs of the event in question. This took place over Jacksonville, NC. 

The Analysis

The image was examined using several filters, settings, and adjustments in Photoshop. The object appears to be part of the sky, and has its own brightness, equal to the sunlight. To the left of the large shape is a small, geometric object hanging in the sky. The pixelated nature of the image makes it impossible to tell for sure what we are looking at. The witness stated that the object was not noticed until examining the images later. The witness further states that the cloud shape hung there as the ones around it moved, dissipated. Some swirling can be seen in the image, but again, not definitive shapes. The event lasted ten minutes.

Image Analysis

Conclusion

It is impossible to draw a conclusion for the geometric shape hanging in the air to the left of the elliptical shape as the image is not clear enough. The elliptical shape could be described on first look as a Fallstreak hole (hole punch cloud), but the cloud type is not right for this phenomenon since Fallstreak holes occur in cirro and alto cumulus clouds. A search of images on Google turned up this example of a similar sky effect. This cloud feature is the only conclusion that can be drawn at this time as there is no discernible anomaly in the image.

The post UFO over Jacksonville, North Carolina – May 17, 2018 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO over Jacksonville, North Carolina – May 17, 2018 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

This case was submitted to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on 06/11/2018 4:26 am. It was assigned to investigator Paul Wright for analysis.

Witness Testimony

The following was submitted by the witness:

“On the night of May 30th, 2018, I was driving home from the gym with my wife and we saw a bright light in the sky that initially we thought was the moon. It was really far away and very high in the sky. We then saw the object coming closer at a fast rate of speed and was rapidly descending. It was big and definitely was not a plane. The size, speed, and flight path of the object also made it highly unlikely to be a drone. It was big and was really fast. We then realized it was not the moon. It had three very bright flashing lights. my wife got out her phone and tried to record it. As she started to record, it disappeared and went dark. A few seconds later it reappeared and that is where our video picks up. It changed flight patterns a few times and then sped off behind us and out of sight. There was a car behind us, so I was unable to turn around and follow it. The lights were very bright and it seemed to hover a few times before it sped off. Please reach out to me if you have any questions.”

The Evidence

The following video was submitted by the witness for analysis:

The Analysis

By Paul Wright, TBV Investigations

I will attempt to identify what the witnesses observed based on the following facts along with witness statements. (including video) I created a visual representation based on the witness’ testimony.

Note: *Witness has not responded to emails to clarify any details or errors etc with the image*

Based on the video evidence it is difficult to make a clear assesment on what the lights are. 

My first approach was to scan the metadata contained within the video which contradicts the date and time of the sighting.  Perhaps the cell phone was incorrectly setup or time zone related, but it is something that needs to be pointed out.

1) The footage provided makes it difficult to ascertain direction, height, speed or reference for scale.

2) I researched the local area around route 355 and discovered a number of gyms as the witness mentioned they were returning from one (but which one?) I have indicated on the map route 355 which the witnessed traveled along but its unknown at which position along route 355 the witness was.

3) I researched the local area around route 355 and discovered a number of airports and have indicated on the map route 355 in relation to surrounding airports.

4) The 3 lights visible in the video appear to resemble taxi or landing lights possibly from Boeing 7777 or aircraft that have that particular configuration. Original image sourced from metabunk.org on this similar topic of light clusters.

Researching Stellarium for known celestial objects on 30-05-2018 @ 22:00 revealed multiple celestial objects in the sky, however it would be difficult to speculate what was visible by eye at that time due to the weather and other atmospheric conditions during the sighting.

Weather for sighting 30/05/2018 at 22:00

Source: https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/us/md/gaithersburg/KGAI/date/2018-5-30

Conclusion

Based on the witness description (as of this report 28/08/2018) and video, without further sufficient evidence or details prior to the video I am unable to make a solid conclusion, but believe this is most likely a commercial aircraft on approach or take off from nearby airports.  

Flight Radar historical data could be used to research flights along route 355, but without the location of the witness during the sighting no further progress can be made.

The post UFO over Clarksburg, Maryland – May 30, 2018 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO over Clarksburg, Maryland – May 30, 2018 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was submitted to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on May 8, 2018, the day of the sighting. It was assigned to TBV Investigations’ researcher Jim Kerr for investigation and analysis.

Witness Testimony

“3 flying objects flying closely in a row from the southeast to the northwest at approximately 10:20pm. They all were a dull orange colored light making no noise at all and flying slowly. There were no flashing lights such as on a jet. They went directly over our home. About 30 to 40 seconds after passing overhead the first one started to flicker then disappeared. The same for the second one then the third one. The sky was clear as we can see all the stars in all directions. I did call my wife outside after the first one passed overhead so she wouldn’t think I was crazy. Hoping somebody else saw the same thing. Then the light flickered on the first and disappeared. The same for the second and then the same for the third. I called my wife outside so she could see them and wouldn’t think I’m crazy.”

The Analysis

by Jim Kerr, TBV Investigations

I have made numerous attempts to contact witness Rich and received no response. With that said, along with the lack of video or photo evidence, I will attempt to provide my opinion of what the witnesses observed.

The witness lives in Palos Heights, IL which is a suburb of Chicago in Cook County. According to data compiled in Cheryl Costa’s book, (UFO Sightings Desk Reference, USA 2001-2015), Cook County reported 1,431 UFO sightings, (2001-2015), which are the highest in the state.

The witness stated he observed three dull orange colored lights flying in a row from S/E to N/W. He heard no sound from the slow-moving objects as they traveled directly overhead. Approx 30 to 40 seconds after passing overhead, the first one started to flicker then disappeared. Then the second one, then the third one flicker then disappeared.

I researched the date and time for meteor or fireball activity and found none. Based on the witness statement of the objects speed, meteors or fireballs can be ruled out. There are numerous airports in the surrounding area, however, the witness description is inconsistent with aircraft lighting. The witness stated the object was traveling S/E to N/W and according to wunderground the wind was traveling in the same direction. I can only speculate, but Chinese Lanterns could account for the lights the witness observed along with the lights flickering then extinguishing. The orange glow, flickering and lights or flame burning out at different intervals are consistent with Chinese Lanterns.

Weather Report for 05/08/2018 10:30 PM

The weather on the date and time of the sighting; 69 degrees, wind 7 mph SE, humidity 40%, zero precipitation, visibility 10 miles, and the skies were cloudy.

Local Airports

Palos Heights is surrounded by at least 21 airports.

Possible Explanations

Conclusion

Based on the fact I was unable to interview the witness along with no video or photograph evidence case number 148816 is determined inconclusive due to lack of evidence. 

The post UFO over Palos Heights, Illinois – May 8, 2018 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO over Palos Heights, Illinois – May 8, 2018 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was submitted to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on March 17, 2018, the day of the sighting.  It was assigned to Michael Kelly for analysis.

Witness Testimony

The following testimony was submitted by the witness:

“At 0559 3/17/18 I witnessed a large object shaped similar to the space shuttle but much larger enter the atmosphere. At first I thought I was looking at a falling star. I watched and waited for it to disappear but instead it turned bright orange and grew larger and brighter. I started to see a trail of orange sparks behind it. I lost it when it went behind a house. it was still night it was going towards the coast. it lasted 20/30 seconds i was alone, on my morning walk no photos, i didn’t have time to get my phone out I don’t know what this was. I just don’t think it was a plane because I couldn’t find anything about a plane crash on the news.”

The Analysis

by Michael Kelly, TBV Investigations

The description of the object getting larger and brighter as well as shooting off sparks is consistent with an object entering the atmosphere from space. The most likely scenario of an object entering the atmosphere would be a meteor, but other possibilities are satellites or similar artificial objects.

One likely possibility is a piece of the Chinese Tiangong-1 Space Station which crashed to Earth a few weeks after the witness made the sighting. This object broke into pieces and orbited the Earth a few times before crashing down on March 28th in the Pacific Ocean.

It is possible a piece of the space station entered the atmosphere before that date.

Below is a video of the space station as it enters the atmosphere, for reference:

Additional Information:  https://www.space.com/40101-china-space-station-tiangong-1-crashes.html 

As early as January of 2018 USA Today reported that the space station and its debris would likely fall to earth beginning in March, most likely between 43 degrees North and 43 degrees South latitudes. Bakersfield, CA lies at 35.3733° N latitude, so it is not inconceivable that some of the debris from this space station could have been visible from Bakersfield.

Conclusion

Without more information, this object is difficult to identify exactly, but it is almost certainly a meteor or man-made satellite of some kind. It was undoubtedly an object entering Earth’s atmosphere from space, so the possibilities for what the object could be have to exclude anything incapable of being in space like an airplane or hot air balloon.

My best guess is that the object witnessed by the observer was a piece of the Tiangong-1 Space Station.

The post UFO seen over Bakersfield, California – March 17, 2018 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO seen over Bakersfield, California – March 17, 2018 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was submitted to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on March 24, 2018. It was assigned to TBV Investigations researcher Jim Kerr for investigation. 

Witness Testimony

The following was submitted to TBV Investigations in the initial report:

“I observed a randomly flashing light that moved from the north in a southerly direction at various speeds, but generally slow. It appeared to almost hover at times and would also appear make slight changes in direction. The light light would flash with a bright silver slow pulse which was then followed by a quick much dimmer blink. Both were very random. It was visible for approximately 20 minutes and appeared change its general direction and moved in a more eastern direction and lights slowly became dimmer before disappearing. I also observed a similar object at approximately the same time the previous night at my residence and it appeared to behave nearly the same.”

The Investigation

by Jim Kerr, TBV Investigations

On 03-29-2018 I interviewed witness Jimmy Fugitt and he related his observations of what he referred to as a strange craft flying in erratic directions with random flashing lights. The object appeared to almost hover at times and would also appear make slight changes in direction. He also stated he observed the same object the night before at the same approx time. His description of the object did not differ from his original written statement submitted to The Black Vault.

This was a nighttime sighting which occurred on 03/23/2018 11:30 PM, not a daytime sighting as the original date and time indicates. He further stated he did not believe this object to be an alien craft but possibly an advanced military craft. 

There are three airports within 20 miles of Greenup , KY. The weather was clear with good visibility with temperatures from 24 to 53 degrees. 

1. Ashland-Boyd County Airport 

Location: Ashland, KY
Greenup County 4.23 miles

2. Tri-State Airport/Milton J. Ferguson Field 

Location: Huntington, WV
Wayne County 19.82 miles

On 03/23/2018 11:30 PM witness Jimmy Fugitt observed what he believed to be a strange craft flying in erratic directions with random flashing lights. The object appeared to almost hover at times and would also appear make slight changes in direction.

As an amateur astronomer I spend many nights observing the sky. In addition to celestial objects, I have observed countless aircraft, their flight patterns and marker lights. I also have tracked and observed satellites, the ISS and meteor showers . At night the human eye can play tricks with ones observations and perceptions. Aircraft marker lights can appear to flash in random pattern, dance around in erratic directions and even appear to hover. It is not uncommon to mistake a conventional aircraft classifying it as an unidentified flying object. 

Conclusion

Based on the witness description and my own observations, I believe the witness observed an aircraft in flight. However this case lacks sufficient evidence to make a solid conclusion.

The post UFO over Greenup, Kentucky – March 23, 2018 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO over Greenup, Kentucky – March 23, 2018 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was submitted to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on March 13, 2018. It was assigned to TBV Investigations’ researcher Michael Glenn for analysis.

Witness Testimony

“I thought this was a plane but it appears to hit something in the air and kept on flying as if nothing happen!”

The Evidence

The Analysis

Video was run through Adobe Premiere to enlarge the object, and run filters.

Adjusted with INVERT and noticed a shadowy shape in front of and behind the object at 0:16:20 and :21, Object appears solid.

Adjusted with AUTO CONTRAST, adjusting the levels to Black Clip, 10%, and White clip .99%.

Found a lip, such as a roof soffit or gutter in the foreground which the unknown passes IN FRONT OF.

See Still 007 and 009.

There are also artifacts at 0.:17:14 when the object is supposed to “disappear.”

Conclusion

Preliminary conclusion is that this is a water droplet, or snowflake, as it does appear to be snowing, which is passing over the lens of the camera.

The artifact is likely where the droplet crosses across oil or dirt on the lens.

Another indicator it is likely water is the shape changing of the blob frame by frame. The most likely conclusion is that the object is moisture on the lens of the camera.

The post UFO Caught on Camera over Buffalo, New York – December 31, 2017 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO Caught on Camera over Buffalo, New York – December 31, 2017 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was submitted to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on April 4, 2018. It was assigned to TBV Investigations’ researcher Michael Glenn for analysis.

Witness Testimony

The following is the original witness testimony submitted to The Black Vault by the witness (unedited):

“I was flying from Finland to Japan (Tokyo) and everybody was sleeping in airplane, lights was off. I took fast picture from airplane window, because of beautiful sunrise. Later I was checking out pictures which I have took and I saw these four blue dots and I don’t have any idea what those are. There wasn’t any lights like this inside of the airplane, so I don’t think those are any reflections from window. To me those “dots” UFO’S(?) looks they are far away, flying near atmosphere.

Maybe you guys can tell me what these are?”

The Evidence

The Analysis

by Michael Glenn, TBV Investigations

The image is taken from inside a lit aircraft, traveling at sunset. There are reflections in the window in the same general area as the objects of interest. After looking over aircraft window schematics, the likely reason for the lights in the sky is a double reflection from the dual pane windows. The lights are likely overhead lights from the airplane interior.

When zooming in the four dots are actually only two, repeated in the second pane of acrylic. The angle is consistent with lights that would be above the witness’ head. 

Conclusion

While other explanations are possible, the reflectivity of the windows is the most likely culprit in this situation.  It is noted that the witness believed no other lights were on in the cabin, but since they did not notice the lights when taking the photograph, they may have just as easily missed reading lights on from across the aisle. It should also be noted, depending on the direction of the camera, the lights in relation to the witness’ seat, etc., the lights could be on in a dark aircraft at a distance not noticeable to the witness, but were reflected in the window and captured on camera.

The following also illustrates where other likely reflection from inside the cabin reside.

The post UFO Seen From Airplane During Flight From Finland to Tokyo, Japan first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO Seen From Airplane During Flight From Finland to Tokyo, Japan appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was submitted to The Black Vault on February 18, 2018. The case was assigned to TBV Investigations team member Jeremy Enfinger for investigation.

Witness Testimony

According to the witness:

“Sighting occurred while filming my cat while my now ex girlfriend and I were temporarily living at her grandmother’s house while she was in a nursing home.

We were having a stupid conversation about cats and how awful it sounds when they have sex. lol. While we were filming and talking a bright blue object shoots across the screen from right to left.

It appears that the cat sees the object out of frame and then follows the object as it crosses though the frame. I have had people on reddit who believe that this is the reflection from the cats eye. This is not a possibility for one, because in the frame by frame breakdown of the object, there is a visible timing difference between them.

Also there is a visible figure of something inside of the object.

The highest visibility being in 2-3 of the frames.”

The Evidence

The Video

The anomaly occurs at 1:25 into the video, towards the end.

Frame by Frame Breakdown

Filtering and Cropping

Introduction

by Jeremy Enfinger, TBV Investigations

A video was submitted by a witness depicting an indoor video of the witness’s cat sitting on a bed when a blue object enters the frame and moves right to left rapidly across the screen.

According to the witness, the cat “follows the object as it crosses through the frame”. Two individuals were in the room (including the witness) at the time of the occurrence and did not report visibly seeing the object in front of the camera. A female notices the object when viewing the video screen and comments accordingly.

This sighting occurred 12/2/2011 around 1:30 a.m. in Apple Valley, Minnesota.

The Analysis

The witness claims to have a very clean home with no bugs or excessive dust, and a normal temperature at the time the video was taken. Also submitted with the video were frame-by-frame still shots of the object, as well as images with a negative filter and an x-ray filter.

Further discussion with the witness revealed there was a wall behind the camera with no windows or light sources.

Screen right (where the object enters the view) contains the kitchen area of the home and a television is on and can be seen on some frames of the video screen left.

Color analysis was performed on the original video file.

Results included similar color schemes coming from the television screen left and in the reflecting light on the curtains behind the cat.

This hue from the television screen is not an exact match, but very close to the color of the object passing through the frame.

However, there is a tissue box in the upper right-hand corner of the screen that softly reflex the same color as the object passing through.

In addition, the cat’s eyes are reflecting the same color as well.

The object itself was magnified and sharpened in analysis. Considering the object’s path (right to left) and speed, one would expect considerable motion blur in the direction of travel with less motion blur on the top and bottom of the object, but this was not observed. All edges of the object were considerably blurry.

There are few reflective surfaces in the video frame, so spatial confirmation of an object between the camera lens and the cat could not be verified.

Some basic internet research was performed into the visual acuity of cats, under the witness’s assumption that the cat’s eyes were following the object in the video (link provided to the witness: http://www.businessinsider.com/pictures-of-how-cats-see-the-world-2013-10). Cats have some advantages and disadvantages compared to human vision. For example, they see far better in low-light conditions, but they can only clearly see about 20 feet in front of them regardless of the lighting conditions.

In addition, multiple YouTube videos were viewed showing eye shine from cats at night as well to identify some similarities and differences when comparing with the submitted video.

Possible Explanations

Bug or Dust Particle

After the initial analysis, the fact that the object was blurred on all edges indicated it could be a very small object which is out of focus. A bug or a dust particle close to the lens could explain its blurry appearance, as well as the blue hue being emitted from reflected light. Since the witness(es) were not able to see the object with their own eyes at the time of the filming, we must conclude that the object was either too small to be seen or the anomaly is some form of artifact. The visual spectrum of the human eye is typically better than a camera’s unless you have modified it for IR or full-spectrum viewing.

Given the fact that the cat’s head moves at the same time the object passes through the frame, it would be more likely that the object is a dust particle. Cat behavior typically involves giving chase to bugs, or at least undivided attention if a bug is nearby and detected. Once the object passes by the screen, the cat does not appear to continue watching a “flight path”, but instead turns its head toward the television seeming uninterested. If this is a dust particle, we must consider whether or not the timing of the cat’s head turning could be coincidental in relationship to the object passing through the frame.

Cat Eye Reflection

Another possibility considered was a visual artifact. A secondary source was consulted by Nicole Shuck, who has many years of experience in paranormal investigation, as well as photo and video review, specifically of wildlife and hunting footage, as well as cryptozoological investigations. It was her opinion that the artifact was most likely produced by a lens flare from the cat’s eyes reflecting the light from the television. The hue of the TV closely matches the hue of the eye shine, as well as the shades seen on the curtains and the tissue box. Eye shine can be seen from various angles, and if this is a lens flare caused by the eye shine, it would explain the appearance of the cat following an object when really, the cat is causing the anomaly by moving its head, sending a reflection toward the camera lens.

YouTube video search results show a variety of lens flares produced by cats’ eyes in low-light conditions. While some vary in appearance to the submitted video, there are a few which appear similar. Lighting conditions would need to be reproduced exactly to reproduce this effect, and it was suggested that the witness attempt to re-create the scenario with similar conditions to see if the anomaly happens again.

Conclusion

While this clip was definitely interesting, it can be explained best by the lens flare theory. Given that the cat moves his head at the same time the object passes through the frame, it could easily cause this effect on a camera. No paranormal activity was reported, and this appears to be an isolated event.

The next best theory would be a dust particle causing the anomaly, but this would need to include a coincidental movement of the cat’s head to align with the object as it passes through the frame.

While there’s no way to be 100% certain about this conclusion, repeat testing was recommended to re-create the anomaly.

One thing is for certain though; cats’ eyes are stunning to look at in low light!

The post Unknown Orb / Object Appears in Video While Taking Video of Cat first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post Unknown Orb / Object Appears in Video While Taking Video of Cat appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

On December 21, 2017, the witness sent in the following report to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations. It has only been slightly edited for ease of reading, but context did not change:

“I do not remember the date nor the specific time. It was probably in 2012 or 2013 in winter or early spring. I know how that sounds.

I only talked to several people at the time, but I was expecting to hear reports so did not say much.

I never did hear about anyone else seeing what I saw. The reason I am reporting this is to get some answers on what this may have been, or even getting information on anyone seeing something similar.

Last year (Jan. 2016) I did see a picture posted on the internet THIS looks a lot like what I saw (see picture I sent) again this is not a picture I took, BUT the Glowing Engines and spacing of them remind me strongly of what I saw. WHAT I SAW…

I was relaxing in my hot tub in my back yard. It was dark maybe 9 ish Winter or early spring. NO leaves on the trees. I looked up for some reason. There were three soundless craft following each other flying towards the south maybe 500 (approx.) feet overhead.

All I could see were the two glowing orange engines (on each craft) I did not see any “body” of the crafts only the round glowing (what I assume were engines) I truly wish I could give a better estimate of the distance and or size but all I can say is I could distinctly see the roundness… something like you would see of a approaching car with large lights maybe 1/4 mile away, but not as bright as I said “glowing”.

I assumed they were some kind on UAV or small craft, but I did not hear anything nor see anything other that the glowing orange (engines) I was fixated on.

When I first looked up they had passed my location, and I was looking at the back of the last craft. Flight speed was not fast. I watched for what may have been a min or two. as they flew down the valley. I watched till it was just a point source of light, then gone.

One other thing I did notice was that I could see the craft move in relation to the others as you would expect planes to fly …they seemed to bank right and left a small amount and you could see this in relation to the other craft.

I would not be too surprised to find out that it was some kind of experimental craft. But the picture I sent is the only time I have ever heard of this kind of sighting.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me a call sometime and tell me this has been reported before. I do have to admit that not remembering the specifics (time/date) is strange…but that is the only thing I am not sure about. Thanks”

The case was assigned to James Clarkson of TBV Investigations for analysis.

The Analysis

by James Clarkson, TBV Investigations

The reported observation of possible UFOs has no definite date: Single event on a night in winter or spring of 2012 to 2013 over the town of Tonasket, WA. This is a small town of slightly over 1,000 population in a remote are Okanogan County in Washington State, on Highway 97 just south of the Canadian border. 

There were three unidentified aircraft that appeared to be in formation. The witness observed them flying away from him. He believed he was looking at the engines of the craft from the rear. He observed three pairs of round, circular glowing lights that were flying in formation at a distance.

The objects flew in one direction at a constant speed.

On 01/07/2018 I called the witness and left a message on his voicemail requesting contact about his report to The Black Vault. At about 1230 hours on the same date he called back, and we discussed his sighting for about 30 minutes.

The witness confirmed that he does not remember the precise date of the event, other than stating that it occurred one night in winter or spring of 2012 or 2013 at about 2100 – 2200 hours. No written notes were made, and no photographs were obtained.

We discussed the photo he submitted. He admitted that he does not know that the aircraft he observed had the same shape as shown in the photo, only that the two side-by-side blobs of light were of similar appearance to what he observed.  There was no sound, but he admits that he really doesn’t know the altitude of these aircraft. 

Further, the three pairs of exhaust lights he observed rolled slightly left and right like they were course-correcting. The aircraft flew on a straight course. He is not certain of the distance. He estimated ¼ mile away in the report. He said ½ mile during our discussion. He admits he is not certain of the distance.  He raised the possibility that they were some type of drone aircraft.

The Conclusion

There is not enough information available to make positive determination of what the witness observed. However, it very likely the origin of these lights is man-made craft using jet engines.

No further information related to this event is likely to become available.

The post UFO Flying Down a Valley in Tonasket, Washington, circa 2012/2013 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO Flying Down a Valley in Tonasket, Washington, circa 2012/2013 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

On December 6, 2017, the witness submitting the following information to The Black Vault:

Hello John

About myself:

I am sound mind and body. I am 63, and just retired. Moved to Las Vegas in February of 2016. Goal was to go to Area 51, photograph mountains, and UFOs. Yea right!

I am ex Navy 15 years, and ex Military Police for 3 years of those 15. I have been shooting photography my entire life. I used a Sony A350. It’s 14 years old or so, but in good working condition. I just bought a Nikon D750 2 days ago. Lord knows how that thing works.

This report was shot with the Sony A350 a first generation DSLR. 

I am a good photographer, who likes to take pictures of weather and jets. So as you can guess I am always looking in the air. But not every day, to much of one thing is never good.

I was shooting a electrical lightning storm. 

I didnt see the ship until I got home. I wear glasses and the ship appeared to be a triangle shape vessel. I saw it only in one frame, as the lightning lit it up.

It only appeared to be a ultra violet spot in the clouds. As I cleaned my file up, wow impossible, it was a ship, or the luckiest lens flare as some people are calling it.

I can see a lens flare in bright sunny day,, but how do you project that into a black night into the clouds. It might be the TR3B that people have speculated. Who knows..   

The case was assigned to TBV Investigations team member Christopher Connelly.

The Analysis

by Christopher Connelly, TBV Investigations

It is extremely easy to spot the visual disturbance as soon as you open the picture.

It appears to resemble light refraction or something of a triangular shape. The triangular body has a blue color to it but as it leads on into the nose of the object, we see a almost color scale. There is nothing else in the pictures that is out of the ordinary.

The witness stated that on the 6SEP17 around 2242, he was taking pictures of a thunderstorm out in the Cornerstone Park, located in Henderson, Nevada. Witness was facing south as the storm was approaching, as he began to take his pictures. It wasn’t until later that he discovered the object seen in the pictures. He states that he did not see it while he was out there and that the only reason he was able to capture it was due to the ultraviolet light that the lightning was giving off.

Conclusion

Whenever we have a massive amount of light such as a lightning storm, we should expect over-exposure, lens flares and other light caused issues with cameras.

I put this photograph through a few contrast relievers and did a few tweaks on the coloring to see if I could pull anything out of it, but to no avail.

The object does appear in an odd shape, but I do believe it to be of natural origins, due to the situation, weather, lighting and of course, being taken by a camera lens.

Photo Gallery

The post UFO During Lightning Storm, Cornerstone Park, Henderson, Nevada – September 8, 2017 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO During Lightning Storm, Cornerstone Park, Henderson, Nevada – September 8, 2017 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

On December 6, 2017, the witness submitting the following information to The Black Vault:

Hello John

About myself:

I am sound mind and body. I am 63, and just retired. Moved to Las Vegas in February of 2016. Goal was to go to Area 51, photograph mountains, and UFOs. Yea right!

I am ex Navy 15 years, and X Military Police for 3 years of those 15. I been shooting photography my entire life. I used a Sony A350. It’s 14 years old or so. But in good working condition. I just bought a Nikon D750 2 days ago. Lord knows how that thing works.

This report was shot with the Sony A350 a first generation DSLR. 

I am a good photographer, who likes to take pictures of weather and jets. So as you can guess I am always looking in the air. But not every day, to much of one thing is never good.

I have 2 separate incidents where I capture a UFO on digital film. But could you clarify what I saw??

The first time I saw a bright white ball of light leave the clouds at 230 in the afternoon,, while shooting airplanes at Nellis AFB.

I shot a series of 10 images until I no longer could see the object.

It came from behind a clouds, jetted down at a 45 degree decent and vanish, time elapse was probably 10 seconds… time enough for the card to write.

About 18 aircraft had landed, and there was a pause in the recovery. I think it thought recovery was done, but I knew there were more aircraft to be recovery, just because I was there for 4 hours.

Then it jetted out of the clouds… I just kept shooting until it was no longer… so I have 10 images of white spot. When I blew it up to 200x, it just looks like nothing, a cloud shifter.. but when I saw it, it had direction and speed.

The case was assigned to TBV Investigations team member Christopher Connelly.

The Analysis

by Christopher Connelly, TBV Investigations

From a subjective perspective, it is hard to determine the shape of the object in the photographs due to the distance and the possible changes in position of the object. I am able to see in one photograph, that the object appears to be disc shaped but in the others, it becomes hard to discern. The color appears to be silver or metallic, as it seems to be reflective of natural light. The witness described the object as “being of an irregular shape and a bright white ball of light,” which is fairly accurate of what I see within his photographs. I see no color changes within the photographs given to me, nor do I see any signs of other light sources on the object.

From the objective perspective, the witness stated that incident occurred around 1430 while he was viewing the return on aircraft to the Nellis Air Force Base, located in Nevada. Witness states that there were about 22 aircraft in total that were returning from a possible exercise and around when the 18th aircraft touched down, he turned to face North, when he spotted the said “object.” He stated that a white ball of light came out from behind the clouds and sped through the sky at a speed that did not match any of the active aircraft. He was able to get the pictures but eventually he lost sight of the object. He states that the object did not appear to be metallic but due to the distance of the object, he states that “it was hard to tell.” No return of object.

I contacted Nellis AFB in regards to getting their flight logs or past exercises in hopes of seeing what aircraft were in the air at that time, just in case they were visiting squadrons.  Note: This portion of the investigation is still pending as no response from Nellis has yet been given. 

Visiting squadrons may be different aircraft. Nellis is home to many different aircraft including the Thunderbirds, who are known to perform death defying maneuvers, F-22 Raptors, A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-15 Strike Eagles. It is impossible to determine if the object that is seen in the first encounter, is one of these due to the quality of the photographs.

This is not due to the photographers skills as it may be due to the crafts speed or maneuvering.

It does appear to be metallic, but like the witness stated, due to the distance, it is too difficult to judge.

Possible Explanations

The witnesses descriptions were helpful but they don’t give any leads to the source of this object, unfortunately. I went over the photographs of the first encounter that he provided but I am unable to match them to any aircraft that I know of or that I could find. The witness states that this could have been a lens flare, but I am unable to determine that. 

Another possibility was that it was a UFO, which I cannot conclude due to the lack of evidence.

Michael Andrew McLimans, a fellow TBV Investigations team member, offered another possible theory for consideration.

Party City, Balloon Planet and other party supply stores offer a large balloon in the shape of a “6”. The shape could definitely match the object in the photos, and the question now, would be the size.

It is very hard to tell exactly how far the object is away from the camera. The largest “6” balloon found was about 3′ tall.  The question would be, how far would a 3′ tall balloon in this shape be discernible? 

Photo Gallery

The post UFO Appears Over Las Vegas, Nevada, May 15, 2017 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO Appears Over Las Vegas, Nevada, May 15, 2017 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.