On Jan. 27, Maj. John Nayadley, a retired AF pilot who is now a NASA research engineer, sighted a fast-moving objectat Hampton, Va. At first, its speed led him to think it a "shooting star." But when it came closer, he saw it was a V shaped object with blinking red-orange lights on the outer edges. The sighting was fully confirmed by another NASA engineer, A.G. Crimmins, Jr., who saw the UFO maneuvering close to the ground.

"It was zigzagging as if searching for a landing spot," said Mr. Crimmins, in his report to NICAF. "I watched it through 20 x 50 binoculars and I could see the same flashing lights. They appeared to be on the edge or rim of a rapidly rotating disc."

After a brief touch-landing, the flying disc took off and rapidly climbed out of sight.

The AF quickly explained the UFO as a helicopter. When an investigator from Langley AFB questioned Crimmins, he said that "no helicopters were flying at that time."

But AFHQ still uses this false answer, ridiculing an experienced AF pilot and a NASA engineer as too befuddled or excited to recognize an ordinary "whirly-bird."

Soon alter this case broke, Maj. Hector Quintanella [sic], UFO Project chief, came to Richmond to debunk the numerous recent Virginia sightings. Playing up frauds, delusions and fake photos, Quintanella combined ridicule, evasion or denial of documented facts and claimed not a single UFO report had ever been proved true.