Last updated on June 1, 2024

Alaska UFO Sightings in 1978

This page aggregates and analyzes all UFO sighting reports made in Alaska during 1978.

How many Alaska UFO sightings were there in 1978?

  • There were 3 officially reported UFO sightings in Alaska in 1978.
  • In 1978, Alaska ranked #32 on the list of states with the most UFO sightings for that year.
  • Adjusted for population size, Alaska ranks #2 in the list of states with the most reported UFO sightings in 1978, with an average of 1 reports per 100,000 residents.

Alaska Cities with the most UFO Sightings in 1978

Rank City Number of Reports
1 Anchorage, AK 2 UFO Reports
2 Ketchikan, AK 1 UFO Reports

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:

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).

Ketchikan, AK

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)).

08/05/78 2:00 PM

UFO Shape: rectangle

Lasted: 3 minutes

Report

Anchorage, AK

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)).

03/28/78 8:45 PM

UFO Shape: sphere

Lasted: 7 minutes

Report

Anchorage, AK

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)).

03/28/78 9:00 AM

UFO Shape: circle

Lasted: 10 minutes

Report

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.

Year Number of Reports View Reports
2024 2 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2024
2023 11 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2023
2022 14 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2022
2021 5 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2021
2020 23 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2020
2019 20 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2019
2018 26 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2018
2017 21 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2017
2016 43 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2016
2015 40 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2015
2014 43 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2014
2013 53 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2013
2012 48 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2012
2011 18 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2011
2010 16 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2010
2009 17 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2009
2008 15 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2008
2007 8 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2007
2006 11 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2006
2005 20 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2005
2004 11 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2004
2003 14 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2003
2002 11 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2002
2001 18 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2001
2000 14 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 2000
1999 18 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1999
1998 14 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1998
1997 5 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1997
1996 5 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1996
1995 9 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1995
1994 2 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1994
1993 1 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1993
1990 3 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1990
1989 2 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1989
1988 2 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1988
1987 3 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1987
1986 5 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1986
1985 1 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1985
1984 3 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1984
1983 1 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1983
1982 1 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1982
1981 1 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1981
1980 1 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1980
1978 3 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1978
1977 1 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1977
1976 5 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1976
1975 1 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1975
1974 2 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1974
1973 1 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1973
1972 1 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1972
1969 4 UFO Reports Alaska UFO Sightings in 1969