NUFORC Sighting 32867

Occurred: 1953-11-21 22:30 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2003-11-04 16:42 Pacific
Duration: 2 1/2- 3 min.
No of observers: 2

Location: Pendleton (2-2 1/2 mi. SE of), IN, USA

Shape: Disk
Characteristics: Aircraft nearby

On a moonless, star-lit night, greenish-orange light moves rapidly and silently about the dark sky while being pursued by a jet.

The night is absolutely clear, very dark, and moonless. Out in the rural country-- no town lights, farm lights, vehicles--nothing but black sky populated with thousands of stars all a-twinkle. Hearing a piston-engined airliner flying towards the south, I lloked up--almost immediately noticing a greenish-orange or yellowish light meandering along soundlessly, first heading in one direction then another. (quite unlike any conventional aircraft of the time) I know what it is...UFO! Calling my friend, we watch for perhaps half-a-minute what appears to be a seemingly aimless flight pattern.

Suddenly, another night traveler arrives on the scene. I hear it, then see its navagation lights. A jet! a millitary plane...has to be, for (at this time--1953) there are no civillian jet-powered aircraft of any kind. At almost the same moment that I see the newcomer, its pilot spots the UFO light, immediately changes course, and makes a bee-line for the thing. Thereafter, what follows is a "cat an' mouse game" of "Catch-Me-if-You-Can" between the light and the plane. The UFO zips ahead, the jet falling behind, then slowing nearly to a stop, the chased allows its pursuer to close. Once the seperation is minimal, away it goes at an unbelievably high speed--sometimes executing angle maneuvers of less than 90 deg. (with little or no slowing) until ready to once again tease the adversary.

For its part, the jet is able to make only gentle, sweeping turns; as its prey, in ghostly silence, traces various geometric figures in the night sky. Only the roaring and panting of the military aircraftis heardin its utterly futile attempt to catch the soundless speck as it continues its Will-O-The-Wisp dance. It is quite a show. And, after some two-and-a-half minutes or so, the participants disappear in a southwesterly direction--still engaged in a one-sided midnight game of tag.

It is my opinion that the military plane (was) a Northrop F89 Scorpion, because few (if any) single-seat jet fighters were flown at night on missions such as this. The Scorpion, a twoseat, radar and rocket equipped aircraft, was used in the intercepter roll. And, on this night, it definitely appears that one was trying to catch a "boggy". There is a possibillity tat the "chase plane" may have been a Lockheed F-94 Starfire.



NUFORC Note:

Date is approximate. The witness in this case is well known to us, and we consider him to be highly credible. Please note the proximity of the date above to the dramatic case of Lieutenants Moncla and Brown over Lake Superior on November 24, 1953, described elsewhere on the NUFORC website. PD


Posted 2003-11-08

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