Table of Contents
Alaska UFO Sightings Analysis
We analyzed all 3 UFO sighting reports in Alaska from 1978 to identify possible patterns and gain insight into the phenomenon:
- The most commonly reported UFO shape or appearance is "sphere" (1 reports, 33.33% of total).
- March is the month with the most reported UFO sightings (2 reports, 66.67% of total).
- Tuesday is the weekday with the most reported UFO sightings (2 reports, 66.67% of total).
- 03/28/78 is the single date with the most UFO sightings reported (2 reports, 66.67% of total).
- Sightings occur more often during the morning, between the hours of 08:00 - 11:59 (1 reports, 33.33% of total).
Alaska UFO Sighting Reports in 1978
This is a sampling of 20 Alaska UFO reports from 1978, presented as they were submitted other than paragraph breaks added for easier readability where necessary.
You can click the 'Report' link to view the original report along with any photos that may have been submitted to the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC).
Full Report Text:
Aircraft carrier shaped UFO During the summer of 1978, while I was fishing near Ketchikan, I looked across the ocean at the island in the distance. I was shocked when I saw a huge, gray UFO that looked similar to an aircraft carrier, hanging in between two mountain tops. I did not notice any lights on the craft, but clearly saw a soft shiny, metallic hue surrounding it.
As I sat in my boat with chills running down my neck, it hung between the mountains for several minutes. Then, in a blink of an eye (literally), it simply disappeared from sight without making a sound. Having spent my entire life in Alaska, I have witnessed many strange sights, but not many that compared to this UFO.
I am curious to know if anyone else has seen this particular shaped UFO? Since this sighting, I have witnessed strange lights hovering in the sky and then moving quickly out of range, but I have never again had the pleasure of seeing this particular craft. ((NUFORC Note: Source of report indicates that the date of the incident is approximate. PD)).
Full Report Text:
BRIGHT WHITE ORB: (Silently Followed 2 Witnesses), Two Sharp Turns, Instant Mach Speed Departure CIRCUMSTANCES - TIME: Night 7:00PM-9:30PM TIME OF YEAR: Winter DATE: 1978, 1979, or 1980 WEATHER: Crystal Clear Starlit Night ACTIVITY: Walking home from Kanchee Park (Klevin St. & E 4th Ave.) Anchorage, Alaska, proceeding East on E 4th Ave.
, then right heading South on Hoyt St. toward home near E 7th Ave & Hoyt St. Additional Witness: Paul - UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT - SHAPE & DESCRIPTION: Bright White Sphere/Orb, Slow Hovering Movement, No Audible Sound, Made 2 perfect 90 Degree Turns, (Not Moon, Not Planet, Not Star, Not Helicopter Spotlight, Not Plane) PATH & EVENTS: Bright White Orb, No Sound, followed Paul and I, on our right side approximately 60 feet to the South, at an altitude of approximately 75 to 150 feet, as we proceeded East on E 4th Ave.
We joked about it being a UFO as we kept watching it during our walk. When we turned right to head South onto Hoyt St. it turned right as well and headed South at the same altitude.
We were then alarmed and started eliminating options like aircraft, helicopter, perceived distance, etc. After eliminating all known possibilities, with the object continuing to follow we became concerned, started to walk towards it, yell at it, and threw snow balls at it. The altitude was too high to hit the object.
The object was not deterred. We gave up attempting to scare it off and continued to proceed South on Hoyt St. The Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) proceeded to follow us.
At approximately E 6th Ave. the object shot off, heading West, at a visually trackable but incredible rate of speed, just ! to the South of downtown Anchorage and disappeared over the horizon as it appeared to cross the Cook Inlet. - IMPORTANT NOTES - The Bright White Orb approached behind us from the West and followed adjacent or parallel to our right or South at a distance of approximately 60 feet (altitude 75-150 feet).
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT? It occurred to me just yesterday (08/03/2017), after 35 years, that this object was most likely intelligently operated. WHY? If the object would have approached us at, or near, that altitude from any other side it could have dangerously interfered with the "take-off" and "landing" Flight Corridor of not only the military, at Elmendorf Air Force Base, but also the civilian, at Merrill Field Airport. The object followed us just a few hundred feet to the West of the Elmendorf AFB Flight Corridor and departed silently at instant mach speeds just a few hundred feet North of the Merrill Field Flight Corridor, heading West past and parallel to Merrill Field.
HUMAN CRAFT OR PLANE(?): Not a traditionally recognizable human flight vehicle, it was silent, it hovered, it could stay aloft at walking speed, it made two perfect 90 degree turns, it instantly accelerated to greater than mach speeds with no jet type visual exhaust and no sonic boom(s). It specifically followed us and stayed just outside the two Flight Corridors (military & civilian) by just a few hundred feet. If it was a human plane, it could not have performed in such a manner and its flight path would have been "in" one of the Flight Corridors.
I grew up in the cross section of the military and civilian Flight Corridors. I watched literally hundreds of very low altitude civilian and military aircraft, landing and taking off, day and night (Cessna's, C-130's, F-15s, Visiting Blue Angels, etc.).
My reasonable assessment, then and now, is that this was not a traditionally recognizable human flight vehicle. - DISCLAIMER - I am only relaying the facts as I recall them. I make no claims as to the objects origin or purpose.
It could be the false recollection of a youthful imagination. Nonetheless, with due diligence and intellectual integrity, I have considered and reasonably dismissed all normal or likely origins to account for this object. Simply put, the object "appeared" to be an Unidentifiable Flying Object with uncharacteristic flight behaviors.
((NUFORC Note: Witness elects to remain totally anonymous; provides no contact information. PD)) ((NUFORC Note: Witness indicates that the date of the sighting is approximate. PD)).
Full Report Text:
It was a total gost to our radar. 1978, UFO incounter with 'B' Battery 1/43rd ADA Alaska. A orange red light, about 2 feet wide, came down from our ceiling and at a slight angle.
This wall of light moved slowly as we followed it out all the way out the front of the building. We were ordered to stay inside but did not. When we got outside and looked up, we seen a UFO over our heads, about 50 or 60 feet above our MTR radar.
It hovered above us and made no noise what so ever. It disappeared in a direction toward Anchorage at a speed that was a blink of an eye, and again no noise or sonic boom. We were on hot status and it never showed up on our radar.
We went into lock down and the 1/72nd base commander had every witness sign a form what you seen you did not see. Three of our soldiers went AWOL becauses they refused to sign the confidentiality form. All three were labeled subversionist and recived BCD's.
I have lived with this for many years, and now cancer will relive me of this memorey soon. ((NUFORC Note: The source of the report provides a name, but no contact information. We are unable to contact him.
PD)).
Alaska UFO Sightings From 1978 By Shape
This is a standardized set of shapes a UFO report can be filed under.
Shape / Appearance | Sightings | % Of Total |
---|---|---|
Sphere | 1 reported sightings | 33.33% of all reports |
Rectangle | 1 reported sightings | 33.33% of all reports |
Circle | 1 reported sightings | 33.33% of all reports |
Alaska UFO Sightings From 1978 By Month
This data point is an aggregation of all UFO reports by the month the sighting occured in.
Month | Sightings | % Of Total |
---|---|---|
March | 2 reported sightings | 66.67% of all reports |
August | 1 reported sightings | 33.33% of all reports |
Alaska UFO Sightings From 1978 By Weekday
This data point is an aggregation of all UFO reports by the day of the week the sighting occured on.
Weekday | Sightings | % Of Total |
---|---|---|
Tuesday | 2 reported sightings | 66.67% of all reports |
Saturday | 1 reported sightings | 33.33% of all reports |
Alaska UFO Sightings From 1978 By Date (Top 5)
This data point is an aggregation of all UFO reports by the date the sighting occured on, limited to the top 5 dates with the most sightings.
Date | Sightings | % Of Total |
---|---|---|
03/28/78 | 2 reported sightings | 66.67% of all reports |
08/05/78 | 1 reported sightings | 33.33% of all reports |
Alaska UFO Sightings From 1978 By Time
This data point is an aggregation of all UFO reports by the time of day the sighting occured during. We took logical 4 hour windows in order to split the day into early morning, morning, afternoon, evening, night, and late night buckets for this analysis.
Time Of Day | Hours | Sightings | % Of Total |
---|---|---|---|
Morning | 08:00 - 11:59 | 1 reported sightings | 33.33% of all reports |
Night | 20:00 - 23:59 | 1 reported sightings | 33.33% of all reports |
Afternoon | 12:00 - 15:59 | 1 reported sightings | 33.33% of all reports |
All Alaska Cities with reported UFO sightings in 1978
These are running counts of how many UFO sighting reports were filed per city in Alaska, in 1978
City | Number of Reports | View Reports |
---|---|---|
Anchorage | 2 UFO Reports | Anchorage UFO Sightings in 1978 |
Ketchikan | 1 UFO Reports | Ketchikan UFO Sightings in 1978 |
Other Years with Reported UFO Sightings in Alaska
These are running counts of how many UFO sighting reports are filed per year in Alaska.