Valentich Disappearance

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Frederick Valentich

The Valentich Disappearance is one of the most puzzling disappearance cases known. Some speculate that the incident could be related to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs).

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Last flight of Delta Sierra Juliet 2.1 Transcript from Melbourne Flight Service 3 Search and rescue efforts 4 Theories 4.1 Disorientation theory 4.2 Freak weather 4.3 Shot down by drug dealers 4.4 Abducted by Unidentified Flying Objects 5 Aftermath 6 Other sightings at the time 7 See also 8 External links 9 Related discussion threads

Introduction

On Saturday, October 21, 1978, a 20 year old Australian pilot, Frederick Valentich, took off from Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne, Victoria on what was to be a mundane flight to King Island for the purpose of racking up night flying hours as well as to pick up a crate of crayfish for some friends of his back on the mainland. What happened instead would become one of the most puzzling and disturbing cases in the history of Ufology. To this day, the Valentich Disappearance remains as puzzling now as it was over 25 years ago.

Last flight of Delta Sierra Juliet

Valentich began his flight from Melbourne at 6:19 P.M. on the evening of October 21, 1978. The conditions were clear, with few scattered clouds and a mild breeze in the area. Visibility was excellent, and the trip was expected to take a total of 70 minutes flying time. The trip would take Valentich over the Bass Strait, a small strip of water that separates mainland Australia from Tasmania.

At 7:06 P.M. Valentich radioed Melbourne Flight Service to report that he was being harrassed by an unknown craft. He was beginning to experience engine trouble, and the unknown craft was flying uncomfortably close, perhaps dangerously. Steve Robey was the controller back in Melbourne who took his call. The following is a transcript of the radio message.

Transcript from Melbourne Flight Service

Here follows the transcript.

1906:14 DSJ Melbourne, this is Delta Sierra Juliet. Is there any known traffic below five thousand?

FS Delta Sierra Juliet, no known traffic.

DSJ Delta Sierra Juliet, I am, seems to be a large aircraft below five thousand.

1906:44 FS Delta Sierra Juliet, What type of aircraft is it?

DSJ Delta Sierra Juliet, I cannot affirm, it is four bright, it seems to me like landing lights.

1907 FS Delta Sierra Juliet.

1907:31 DSJ Melbourne, this is Delta Sierra Juliet, the aircraft has just passed over me at least a thousand feet above.

FS Delta Sierra Juliet, roger, and it is a large aircraft, confirmed?

DSJ Er-unknown, due to the speed it's travelling, is there any air force aircraft in the vicinity?

FS Delta Sierra Juliet, no known aircraft in the vicinity.

1908:18 DSJ Melbourne, it's approaching now from due east towards me.

FS Delta Sierra Juliet.

1908:41 DSJ (open microphone for two seconds.)

1908:48 DSJ Delta Sierra Juliet, it seems to me that he's playing some sort of game, he's flying over me two, three times at speeds I could not identify.

1909 FS Delta Sierra Juliet, roger, what is your actual level?

DSJ My level is four and a half thousand, four five zero zero.

FS Delta Sierra Juliet, and you confirm you cannot identify the aircraft?

DSJ Affirmative.

FS Delta Sierra Juliet, roger, stand by.

1909:27 DSJ Melbourne, Delta Sierra Juliet, it's not an aircraft it is (open microphone for two seconds).

1909:42 FS Delta Sierra Juliet, can you describe the -er- aircraft?

DSJ Delta Sierra Juliet, as it's flying past it's a long shape (open microphone for three seconds) cannot identify more than it has such speed (open microphone for three seconds). It's before me right now Melbourne.

1910 FS Delta Sierra Juliet, roger and how large would the - er - object be?

1910:19 DSJ Delta Sierra Juliet, Melbourne, it seems like it's stationary. What I'm doing right now is orbiting and the thing is just orbiting on top of me also. It's got a green light and sort of metallic like, it's all shiny on the outside.

FS Delta Sierra Juliet

1910:46 DSJ Delta Sierra Juliet (open microphone for three seconds) It's just vanished.

FS Delta Sierra Juliet

1911 DSJ Melbourne, would you know what kind of aircraft I've got? Is it a military aircraft?

FS Delta Sierra Juliet, Confirm the - er ~ aircraft just vanished.

DSJ Say again.

FS Delta Sierra Juliet, is the aircraft still with you?

DSJ Delta Sierra Juliet; it's (open microphone for two seconds) now approaching from the south-west.

FS Delta Sierra Juliet

1911:50 DSJ Delta Sierra Juliet, the engine is rough-idling. I've got it set at twenty three twenty-four and the thing is coughing.

FS Delta Sierra Juliet, roger, what are your intentions?

DSJ My intentions are - ah - to go to King Island - ah - Melbourne. That strange aircraft is hovering on top of me again (open microphone for two seconds). It is hovering and it's not an aircraft.

FS Delta Sierra Juliet.

1912:28 DSJ Delta Sierra Juliet. Melbourne (open microphone for seventeen seconds).

That was the last that anyone would hear from Valentich.

Search and rescue efforts

When the Cessna failed to arrive at its ETA of 7:28 P.M., a search and rescue effort was launched. Since the Cessna was equipped with a life jacket and a radio survival beacon, and the last known position of the craft was over water, it was hoped that he would be found easily. However, nothing was heard from the beacon.

The RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) searched the area where Valentich's craft was last seen. They searched all day Sunday and Monday, yet found no trace of Valentich or his Cessna. An oil slick was discovered 18 miles north of King Island, however, this was determined to be marine diesel and not related to an aircraft. Debris was also found, but was determined to be packing crates from a ship, and not pieces of a plane.

Searches were continued until the 25th of October, with no success. Not a single trace of plane or pilot could be found. The only "witness", Steve Robey, was interviewed. He said that after the last transmission from Valentich, there was a strange 17 second period of metallic scraping noises and stop/start pulse sounds which had no apparent order. He surmised that it was similar to a rapid keying of the microphone, however, when he experimented and tried, the effect was very different to that heard on the tape.

Theories

The story was soon to become international news. There were as many theories on to what happened as there were questions. They ranged from disorientation while flying upside down to abduction of Valentich and his plane by UFOs.

Disorientation theory

Some people believed that Valentich had been flying upside down and became disorientated, and mistook the Cape Otway Lighthouse for a UFO. Certain persons in the Air Force and government officials favored this theory. However, it leaves much to be desired, as the description of the unknown craft, its maneuvers, and Valentich's apparent state of mind tend to cast doubt upon the idea.

Freak weather

Another theory is that Valentich's plane was struck by lightning in a freak weather accident. This theory was mainly bandied about by Harley Klauer, a notorious anti-UFO crusader. However, there is no basis for this explanation, as no strange weather conditions were in the area, and the weather was very calm and pleasant.

Shot down by drug dealers

Another theory by Klauer, he states that drug runners using the Bass Strait to smuggle drugs onto the mainland of Australia used helium balloons with bags of drugs attached to their boats. If a patrol came, they could cut the helium balloons free and get rid of evidence. Klauer suggested that the Cessna got caught up in an invisible nylon string used to tow the drugs, and his plane was brought down. This does not warrant serious consideration, as Valentich was flying at 4500 feet, an unlikely altitude for drug filled balloons. Even Klauer rejected his own theory in favor of his freak weather scenario, which was equally implausible.

Abducted by Unidentified Flying Objects

This is perhaps the most widely held theory, and one, despite its incredibility, that certainly fits the facts at hand. It certainly is not the first case of a plane disappearing after coming into contact with an Unidentified Flying Object, and bears certain striking similarities to the Kinross and Coyne incidents.

Aftermath

As late as May 1982, the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation released an offical report on the incident. The report was only available to those who had a genuine interest in the case. The conclusions of the report can be summed up as follows:

Location of Occurance: not known.
Time: not known.
Degree of Injury: presumed fatal.
Opinion as to cause: The reason for the disappearance of the aircraft has not yet been determined.

Other sightings at the time

Valentich was not the only one that day who saw strange things in the skies. Several independent and separate witnesses from Cape Otway to King Island all reported seeing strange craft similar to Valentich's sighting. One witness, a plumber named Roy Manifold, actually captured photos of the object, which he had observed rising out of the sea at about 6:43 P.M., about 20 minutes before Valentich radioed in his distress call. The photos have yet to be satisfactorily explained.

The Valentich Disappearance occurred during the biggest UFO flap in Australian history, activity which peaked the night of his disappearance, then strangely enough, began to drop off.

See also

• Abduction
• Alien
• Hill Abduction
• Unidentified Flying Object

External links

• VUFOR Site
  
• UFO Evidence
  
• UFO Case Book

Related discussion threads

Valentich Disappearance