Case Directory
  Category 1, Distant Encounters 
 
  Preliminary
Rating: 5  

                                   
     

A Hynek Classification of Distant Encounter is usually an incident involving an object more than 500 feet from the witness. At night it is classified as a "nocturnal light" (NL) and during the day as a "daylight disc" (DD). The size of the object or the viewing conditions may render the object in greater detail but yet not qualify the sighting as a Close Encounter which is an object within 500'. 

Flat Object At 2,400 MPR
Jan. 10, 1953
Sonoma, California


Brad Sparks:
Jan. 10, 1953; 8 miles NW of Sonoma, Calif. (BBU 2326)
3:45 or 4 p.m. [4:45 p.m. PST?] Retired AF Col. Robert McNab, and Mr. Hunter of the Federal Security Agency saw a flat object to the NW at 45° elevation traveling about 2,400 mph make three 360° right turns in 2-3 secs each in about 1/8 radius required for jets [i.e., about 1/4 mile radius and 300 g's], two abrupt 90° turns to the right and left, each turn 5 secs apart, almost stop, accelerate to original high speed, almost stop again, speed up again and finally fly out of sight vertically. Sound similar to F-86 at high altitude. (Hynek UFO Rpt pp. 115-6)

Detailed reports and documents
reports/530110sonoma_report.htm (Dan Wilson)


NICAP Home Page