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| {{short description|1978 disappearance of a pilot over Bass Strait, Australia}} | |||
| {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2011}} | |||
| {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} | |||
| {{Use Australian English|date=October 2011}} | {{Use Australian English|date=October 2011}} | ||
| {{Infobox event | |||
| {{refimprove|date=October 2011}} | |||
| | title = Valentich disappearance | |||
| {{Coord|38|51|00|S|143|31|00|E|type:event_region:AU-VIC|display=title}} | |||
| | image = Valentich disappearance.png | |||
| {{Infobox Paranormalevents | |||
| | image_size = | |||
| |Event_Name = Valentich disappearance | |||
| | caption = Valentich's intended route from ] to ] over ] | |||
| |Image_Name = LocationOceania.png | |||
| | date = {{disappeared date and age|df=y|1978|10|21|1958|05|09}} | |||
| |Image_Caption = | |||
| | time = 19:12 AEST | |||
| |AKA = Frederick Valentich disappearance | |||
| | place = ], Australia | |||
| |Participants = Frederick Valentich,<br/>Steve Robey (]) | |||
| | coordinates = {{Coord|39|24|S|143|45|E|type:event_region:AU-VIC|display=inline,title}} | |||
| |Location = ], ] | |||
| | cause = Unknown | |||
| |Date = 21 October 1978 | |||
| | missing = 1 | |||
| |Status = (Missing) Presumed dead<ref name=officialreport1>{{cite web | title = Aircraft Accident Investigation Summary Report Ref. No. V116/783/1047 | work = | author = Department of Transport - Commonwealth of Australia | date = 1982-04-27 | url = http://en.wikisource.org/Aircraft_Accident_Investigation_Summary_Report_Ref._No._V116/783/1047 | publisher= ] | doi = | accessdate = 2008-02-03}}</ref>}} | |||
| | duration = {{Missing for|df=y|1978|10|21}} | |||
| }} | |||
| '''Frederick Valentich''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|v|æ|l|ən|t|ɪ|tʃ}}) was an Australian pilot who disappeared while on a {{convert|125|nmi|adj=on|km|lk=in}} training flight in a ] ], registered VH-DSJ,<ref name=CSICOP>{{cite web |last=Nickell |first=Joe |title=The Valentich Disappearance: Another UFO Cold Case Solved|url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/2013/11/the-valentich-disappearance-another-ufo-cold-case-solved/ |work=Volume 37.6, November/December 2013 |date=November 2013 |publisher=Committee for Skeptical Inquiry|access-date=14 March 2014}}</ref> over ]. On the evening of Saturday 21 October 1978, twenty-year-old Valentich informed ] ] that he was being accompanied by an aircraft about {{convert|1000|ft}} above him and that his engine had begun running roughly, before finally reporting: "It's not an aircraft."<ref name="AP"/> | |||
| The '''Valentich disappearance''' refers to the unexplained disappearance at around 7:12 pm on 21 October 1978 of 20-year-old Frederick Valentich while piloting a ]L light aircraft over ] in ]. He intended to land at ] and return to ].<ref name="officialreport1"/> | |||
| There were belated reports of a ] sighting in Australia on the night of the disappearance; however, the ] was sceptical<!--Australian/British spelling variant; please do not change--> that a UFO was behind Valentich's disappearance, and some of their officials speculated that "Valentich became disorientated and saw his own lights reflected in the water, or lights from a nearby island, while flying upside down".<ref name=AP>{{cite news |title=UFO Enthusiast Missing After Reporting Craft |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19781023&id=6hFPAAAAIBAJ&pg=3318,4275388|access-date=12 March 2014 |newspaper=Toledo (OH) Blade |agency=] |date=10 October 1978}}</ref> | |||
| During the 127-] (235 km) flight, Valentich advised ] ] that he was being accompanied by an aircraft about {{convert|1000|ft|m}} above him.<ref name="AP">{{cite news| title=Pilot Missing after UFO Report| work=] | page=1| author=] | date=24 October 1978}}</ref> He described some unusual actions and features of the aircraft, saying that his engine had begun running roughly, and finally reported that the "strange aircraft is hovering on top of me again. It is hovering and it's not an aircraft."<ref name="AP"/> | |||
| ==Frederick Valentich== | |||
| Valentich and his aircraft were never found, and an Australian Department of Transport investigation concluded that the reason for the disappearance could not be determined. | |||
| ] | |||
| Frederick Valentich (9 June 1958 – disappeared 21 October 1978) had about 150 total hours of flying time and held a class-four instrument rating, which authorised him to fly at night, but only "in ]". He had twice applied to enlist in the ] (RAAF), but was rejected because of inadequate educational qualifications. He was a member of the RAAF ], determined to have a career in aviation. | |||
| Valentich was studying part-time to become a commercial pilot but had a poor achievement record, having twice failed all five commercial licence examination subjects, and as recently as the month before his disappearance had failed three more commercial licence subjects. He had been involved in flying incidents, for example, straying into a controlled zone in ], for which he received a warning, and twice deliberately flying into a cloud, for which ] was being considered. According to his father, Guido, Valentich was an ardent believer in ] and had been worried about being attacked by them.<ref name=CSICOP/> Six days before his disappearance, Valentich discussed with his girlfriend Rhonda Rushton the possibility of a UFO taking him away, according to her.<ref name="Herald Sun">{{Cite news|last=Dunn|first=Mark|date=5 April 2014|title=UFO suspicions still cloud disappearance of Frederick Valentich|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/ufo-suspicions-still-cloud-disappearance-of-frederick-valentich/news-story/238397f0c2734c8b91cf4b96ae497bc5|agency=]|access-date=8 July 2024}}</ref><ref name="Snopes">{{Cite web|last=Liles|first=Jordan|date=3 December 2021|title=Frederick Valentich's 'UFO' Sighting and Disappearance|url=https://www.snopes.com/articles/383824/frederick-valentich-ufo-disappearance/|website=]|access-date=8 July 2024}}</ref> | |||
| Belated reports of a ] sighting in Australia on the night of the disappearance<ref name=haines1>{{cite journal |last=Haines |first=Richard F. |year=1987 |title=Melbourne Episode; Case Study of a Missing Pilot |publisher=Lighting Design Association |ISBN=0-9618082-0-9}}</ref><ref name=vufors1>{{cite web |last=Norman |first=Paul |year=1996 |url=http://members.ozemail.com.au/~vufors/valensum.htm |title=The Frederick Valentich Disappearance |publisher=Victorian U.F.O. Research Society |accessdate=2007-04-27}}</ref><ref name=clark1>{{cite book |last=Clark |first=Jerome |authorlink=Jerome Clark |year=1998 |title=The UFO Book: Encyclopedia of the Extraterrestrial |publisher=Visible Ink |ISBN=1-57859-029-9}} | |||
| </ref><ref name=jse1>{{cite journal |last1=Haines |first1=Richard F. |last2=Norman |first2=Paul |year=2000 |url=http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_14_1_haines.pdf |title=Valentich Disappearance: New Evidence and a New Conclusion |journal=Journal of Scientific Exploration |volume=14#1 |pages=19–33 |publisher=Society for Scientific Exploration |ISSN=0892-3310/00}}</ref> led Ken Williams, a spokesman for the Department of Transport, to tell ] that "it's funny all these people ringing up with UFO reports well after Valentich's disappearance."<ref name="AP"/> | |||
| The destination of Valentich's final flight was ], but his motivation for the flight is unknown. He told flight officials that he was going to King Island to pick up some friends, while he told others that he was going to pick up ]. Later investigations found both stated reasons to be untrue.<ref name=CSICOP/> Valentich had also failed to inform ] of his intention to land there, going against "standard procedure".<ref name=CSICOP/> | |||
| ==Valentich== | |||
| {{clearleft}} | |||
| Frederick Valentich was born on 9 June 1958 in Melbourne. He lived at home with his parents and three siblings in ] and at the time of his disappearance was a shop assistant at an army disposals store at ]. Frederick attended Keilor Heights High School in ] up until year 10, then he continued his studies at a private college. | |||
| He had twice applied to enlist in the ] but was rejected because of inadequate educational qualifications. He was a member of the ], determined to have a career in aviation. His student pilot licence was issued 24 February 1977 and his private pilot licence the following September. Valentich was studying part-time to become a commercial pilot but had a poor achievement record, having twice failed all five commercial licence examination subjects, and as recent as the previous month had failed three more commercial licence subjects. He had been involved in flying incidents, straying into a controlled zone in Sydney (for which he received a warning) and twice deliberately flying into cloud (for which prosecution was being considered).<ref name=NAA>{{cite web|last=P.R.|first=Graham|title=DSJ - Cape Otway to King Island 21 October 1978 - Aircraft Missing (Valentich)|url=http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=10491375|work=National Archives of Australia|accessdate=10 September 2013|page=52|date=10 December 1981|quote=On two occasions he sat for and failed all five CPL subjects and during July 1978, sat for three CPL subjects and failed them. He had penetrated Sydney Control Zone during a flight...and just prior to this flight he had received a counselling letter...}}</ref> | |||
| According to Guido Valentich, Frederick's father, Frederick was a "firm believer in UFOs", and, prior to his disappearance, he had "worried about attacks from UFOs".<ref name=NAA /> | |||
| ==Details== | ==Details== | ||
| ] | |||
| Valentich had a Class Four ] and 150 hours flight experience,<ref name=officialreport1/> when he filed a flight plan at ], Melbourne, on 21 October 1978. His stated intention was to fly to ] in ] via ], to pick up passengers, and return to Moorabbin. However, he had told his family, girlfriend and acquaintances that he intended to pick up ]. During the accident investigations it was learned there were no passengers waiting to be picked up at King Island, he had not ordered crayfish and could not have done so because crayfish were not available anyway.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} | |||
| Valentich radioed ] Flight Service at 7:06 pm to report that an unidentified aircraft was following him at {{convert|4500|ft}}. He was told there was no known traffic at that level. Valentich said he could see a large unknown aircraft which appeared to be illuminated by four bright landing lights. He was unable to confirm its type, but said it had passed about {{convert|1000|ft}} overhead and was moving at high speed. Valentich then reported that the aircraft was approaching him from the east and said the other pilot might be purposely toying with him. Valentich said the aircraft was "orbiting" above him and that it had a shiny metal surface and a green light on it. Valentich further reported that he was experiencing engine problems. Asked to identify the aircraft, Valentich radioed: "It's not an aircraft." His transmission was then interrupted by unidentified noise described as "metallic, scraping sounds" before all contact was lost.<ref name=AP /><ref name=UPI-2>{{cite news|title=Search for pilot who saw UFO, then disappeared discontinued|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2245&dat=19781026&id=3JQzAAAAIBAJ&pg=6726,5964289|access-date=13 March 2014|agency=]|date=26 October 1978}}</ref><ref name=UPI-1>{{cite news|title=After spotting UFO Pilot disappears|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=860&dat=19781023&id=JXFUAAAAIBAJ&pg=5087,1555746|newspaper=Ellensburg (OR) Daily Record|page=8|access-date=13 March 2014|agency=]|date=23 October 1978}}</ref> | |||
| He was flying a ]-L, with a cruising speed of around 256 km/h (160 mph), and visibility was good and winds were light.<ref name=officialreport1/> He departed Moorabbin at 18:19, contacted the Melbourne Flight Service Unit to inform them of his presence, and reported reaching ] at 19:00.<ref name=officialreport1/> | |||
| At 19:06, Valentich asked Melbourne Flight Service Officer Steve Robey for information on other aircraft below (5000 ft, 1524 m) and was told there was no known traffic at that level. Valentich said he could see a large unknown aircraft which appeared to be illuminated by four bright landing lights. He was unable to confirm its type, but said it had passed about {{convert|1000|ft}} overhead and was moving at high speed. Valentich then reported that the aircraft was approaching him from the east and said the other pilot might be purposely toying with him.<ref name=officialreport1/> | |||
| At 19:09 Robey asked Valentich to confirm his altitude and that he was unable to identify the aircraft. Valentich gave his altitude as 4500 ft and said the aircraft was "long", but it was traveling too fast for him to describe it in more detail. Valentich stopped transmitting for about 30 seconds, during which time Robey asked for an estimate of the aircraft's size. Valentich said the aircraft was "orbiting" above him and that it had a shiny metal surface and a green light on it. This was followed by 28 seconds silence before Valentich reported that the aircraft had vanished. There was a further 25-second break in communications before Valentich reported that it was now approaching from the southwest. Twenty-nine seconds later, at 19:12:09 Valentich reported that he was experiencing engine problems and was going to proceed to King Island. There was brief silence until he said "it is hovering and it's not an aircraft".<ref name=officialreport1/> This was followed by 17 seconds of unidentified noise, described as being "metallic, scraping sounds",<ref name=clark1/> then all contact was lost. | |||
| ==Search and rescue== | ==Search and rescue== | ||
| A sea and air search was undertaken that included oceangoing ship traffic, an RAAF ] aircraft, plus eight civilian aircraft. The search encompassed over {{convert|1000|mi2|km2}}. Search efforts ceased on 25 October 1978 without result.<ref name=UPI-2 /> | |||
| A search and rescue alert was given at 19:12. Valentich failed to arrive at King Island by 19:33, and a sea and air search was undertaken, and two ] ] aircraft searched over a seven-day period. Search efforts continued until 25 October 1978. Analysis of a fuel slick found roughly near where Valentich had last radioed Robey<ref name="AP"/> proved that it was not aviation fuel,<ref name=clark1/> and no trace of the aircraft was found.<ref name=officialreport1/> The aircraft was equipped with four life jackets and an emergency radio beacon, and was designed to stay afloat for several minutes.<ref name=officialreport1/> | |||
| ==Official |
==Official investigation== | ||
| An investigation into Valentich's disappearance by the Australian Department of Transport was unable to determine the cause but it was "presumed fatal" for Valentich.<ref name=CSICOP /> Five years after Valentich's aircraft went missing, an ] was found washed ashore on ]. In July 1983, the ] asked the Royal Australian Navy Research Laboratory (RANRL) about the likelihood that the cowl flap might have "travelled" to its ultimate position from the region where the aircraft disappeared. The bureau noted that "the part has been identified as having come from a Cessna 182 aircraft between a certain range of serial numbers", which included Valentich's aircraft.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Archives of Australia |url=https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=10491375&T=PDF | |||
| A two-week long Department of Transport (DOT) investigation into Valentich's disappearance was unable to determine the cause,<ref name=officialreport1/> but that it was "presumed fatal" for Valentich.<ref name=officialreport1/> A report published on 27 April 1982, summarised the radio conversations on the evening of 21 October 1978 between Valentich and Robey. | |||
| |format=PDF | |||
| |website=recordsearch.naa.gov.au |access-date=10 March 2023}}</ref> | |||
| ==Other findings== | |||
| ===Unexplained sounds=== | |||
| During Valentich's final recorded transmission to the Melbourne Service Unit, seventeen seconds of unexplained noise, described as being "metallic, scraping sounds", were recorded by DOT Air Traffic Control audio tape. | |||
| Researchers Paul Norman and John W. Auchettl<ref>Independent investigation for PRA & VUFORS</ref> received an edited copy of the original voice tape from the DOT. Auchettl had a copy analysed by the ] (RMIT)<ref>"Missing pilot Valentich final sound analysis report", John W. Auchettl, Phenomena Research Australia 1982</ref> and another was taken to the United States by Norman for analysis by Dr. Richard F. Haines, a former researcher with NASA-Ames and Associate Professor of Psychology at San Jose State University.<ref name=nicap1>NICAP (1992) “ - Who's who in Ufology”, NICAP (2007-04-27)</ref><ref name=whowhocal>”Richard F. Haines – Who's Who in California”, International WHO'S WHO Historical Society, Marquis</ref> | |||
| Haines described the sounds as "Thirty-six separate bursts with fairly constant start and stop pulses bounding each one," and said that there were "no discernible patterns in time or frequency."<ref name=haines1/> The significance of the sounds, if any, has remained undetermined. | |||
| ===The Manifold photographs=== | |||
| Shortly before Valentich's last reported contact with Robey, plumber Roy Manifold set up a time lapse camera and tripod on the shoreline in order to photograph the sun setting over the water. When his pictures were developed they appeared to show a fast moving object exiting the water near ] lighthouse. Manifold gave the time that the pictures were taken as being approximately 6:47 pm (18:47 hrs), or 20 minutes before Valentich reported having difficulties. | |||
| The pictures were later examined by ], ]- based UFO group Ground Saucer Watch (GSW) and by a number of independent experts.<ref name=haines1/><ref name=vufors1/><ref name=melborne1>News Story (1980-07-23), The Standard (Melbourne)</ref><ref>Auchettl, J.W. Spaulding, William H. "Roy Manifold Photograph Analysis", Ground Saucer Watch</ref> Though the pictures were not clear enough to identify the object, UFO groups argue that the distance that the object moved between frames, relative to clouds in the background, indicate a speed of roughly 200 mph.<ref name=vufors1/> | |||
| Dr. Haines wrote of the photographs: "Based on the computerized data of the pictures, it is the consensus of the GSW technicians that the images represent a bona fide unknown flying object, of moderate dimensions, apparently surrounded by a cloud-like vapor/exhaust residue."<ref name=haines1/> The suggestion that the objects are solid has been dismissed by UFO skeptics who believe the object to be a cloud formation.<ref name=vufors1/> No skeptical explanation has been given to account for the object's speed.<ref name=vufors1/> | |||
| ===UFO sighting reports=== | |||
| After news of Valentich's disappearance became public, a number of individuals reported witnessing unusual activity in the area.<ref name=haines1/><ref name=vufors1/><ref name=clark1/><ref name=jse1/> Some people claimed to have seen "an erratically moving green light in the sky"<ref name=jse1/> and in one instance witnesses, located about 2 km west of ], stated that they saw a green light trailing or shadowing Valentich's plane, and that he was in a steep dive at the time.<ref name=jse1/> ]s said these accounts were significant as most were recorded several years prior to the 1982 release of transcripts in which Valentich had described the object above him as having a green light.<ref name=haines1/><ref name=vufors1/> | |||
| ===Comments from Valentich's father=== | |||
| According to an ] report, Guido Valentich, the father of the missing pilot, said "he hoped his son had been taken by a UFO and had not crashed. 'The fact that they have found no trace of him presents a possibility that UFOs could have been there.'"; Guido Valentich also told the AP that "his son used to study UFOs as a hobby using information he had obtained from the air force. He was not the kind of person who would make up stories. Everything had to be very correct and positive for him.'"<ref name="AP"/> | |||
| ==Proposed explanations== | ==Proposed explanations== | ||
| Some Western Australia Department of Transport officials speculated that "Valentich became disorientated and saw his own lights reflected in the water, or lights from a nearby island, while flying upside down".<ref name=AP /> | |||
| It has also been proposed that Valentich staged his own disappearance: even taking into account a trip of between 30 and 45 minutes to ], the single-engine Cessna 182 still had enough fuel to fly {{convert|800|km|abbr=on}};<ref>'']'', 28 October 1978, p. 1</ref> despite ideal conditions, at no time was the aircraft plotted on ], casting doubts as to whether it was ever near Cape Otway;<ref name=australian>'']'', 24 October 1978, pp. 1–2</ref> and Melbourne police received reports of a light aircraft making a mysterious landing not far from Cape Otway at the same time as Valentich's disappearance.<ref name=australian/> | |||
| ===Conventional=== | |||
| There has also been speculation that Valentich committed ]. According to UFOlogist Kieth Basterfield, interviews with doctors and colleagues who knew him virtually eliminated this possibility.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/truth-was-out-there-after-all/news-story/2973bd131c27da0a31f4a7b8eba643fe|title='Truth' was out there after all |last=Kemp |first=Miles |newspaper=The Advertiser |date=6 July 2012|access-date=26 October 2013}}</ref> | |||
| Several explanations have been put forward for Valentich's disappearance: | |||
| According to ], Valentich's radio conversation was similar to the dialogue from a scene in the film '']'', which was released less than a year before the disappearance, and was popular among pilots, young people and UFO fans. Dunning speculated that it is possible that Valentich was trying to imitate the scene for fun, and deliberately made his aircraft fly in a circular pattern in order to "give the radar guys something to see", but accidentally became disorientated and crashed into the water.<ref>{{Skeptoid | id=4385 | number=385 | title=The Disappearance of Frederick Valentich | date=22 October 2013 |access-date=28 July 2024}}</ref> | |||
| * The possibility remains that Valentich staged his own disappearance: even taking into account a trip of between 30 and 45 minutes to Cape Otway, the aircraft still had enough fuel to fly 800 kilometres;<ref>'']'', 28 October 1978, p. 1</ref> despite ideal conditions, at no time was the aircraft plotted on radar, casting doubts as to whether it was ever near Cape Otway;<ref name=australian>'']'', 24 October 1978, pp. 1-2</ref> and Melbourne Police received reports of a light aircraft making a mysterious landing not far from Cape Otway at the same time as Valentich's disappearance.<ref name=australian/> | |||
| * Another proposed explanation<ref>Discussed on the ] television programme ''Can We Help?'' in 2007</ref> is that Valentich became disoriented and was flying upside down. What he thought he saw, if this were the case, would be his own aircraft's lights reflected in the water. He would then have crashed into the water. This was ruled out by aviation authorities, as the ] has a high wing with a gravity fed fuel system, making prolonged inverted flight impossible in this model. | |||
| * In 2000 a private investigation of the incident concluded that Valentich had become disoriented and experienced engine and radio problems that caused him to crash into the sea. It further suggested that the Bass Strait's strong prevailing currents might have carried his relatively light aircraft a long distance before it finally sank.<ref name=jse1/> | |||
| *Another proposed possibility is suicide,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.factfictionandconjecture.ca/files/valentich_incident.html|title=The Frederick Valentich UFO Incident|publisher= | |||
| Mysteries: Fact, Fiction & Conjecture|accessdate=26 October, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ghosttheory.com/2010/11/23/the-strange-case-of-frederick-valentich|title=The Strange Case Of Frederick Valentich|last=Ortega|first=Xavier|publisher=GhostTheory.com|date=23 November, 2010|accessdate=26 October, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truth-was-out-there-after-all/story-e6frea6u-1226419389593|title='Truth' was out there after all|last=Kemp|first=Miles|newspaper=The Advertiser|date=6 July, 2012|accessdate=26 October, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ufoinfo.com/news/valentich.shtml|title=25 years ago today Frederick Valentich vanished|last=Chalker|first=Bill|publisher=UfoInfo.com|accessdate=26 October, 2013}}</ref> although it has been suggested that he had a content lifestyle.<ref>http://www.australianmissingpersonsregister.com/Valentich.htm</ref> | |||
| *Brian Dunning, in a recent episode of the Skeptoid podcast has speculated that Valentich became disorientated while attempting to replicate the second of the opening sequences from the film ] noting similarities in the Valentich ATC transcript and the air traffic contol dialog from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. <ref name="Draft">{{cite web|url=http://www.scifiscripts.com/scripts/Close%20Encounters%20of%20The%20Third%20Kind%20(1-2)3.pdf|title=Revised Draft:Close Encounters of the Third Kind|author=] (As per script title page.)|publisher=Script-o-Rama.com|accessdate=27 October, 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Dunning">{{cite web|url=http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4385|title=The Disappearance of Frederick Valentich|last=Dunning|first=Brian|publisher=Skeptoid Media, Inc.|date=22 October, 2013|accessdate=26 October, 2013}}</ref> | |||
| A 2013 review of the radio transcripts and other data by ] and retired ] pilot James McGaha and author ] proposes that the inexperienced Valentich was deceived by the ] for which he attempted to compensate and inadvertently put his aircraft into a downward, so-called "]" which he initially mistook for simple orbiting of the aircraft. According to the authors, the ]s of a tightening spiral would decrease fuel flow, resulting in the "rough idling" reported by Valentich. McGaha and Nickell also propose that the apparently stationary, overhead lights that Valentich reported were probably the planets ], ] and ], along with the bright star ], which would have behaved in a way consistent with Valentich's description.<ref name=CSICOP /> | |||
| ===Unconventional=== | |||
| Unconventional explanations for Valentich's disappearance include speculation that the unexplained aircraft with the green light that he reported was a vehicle of some kind, which in turn either ] Valentich or caused the destruction of his plane in some fashion.<ref name=Vuforrep1>{{cite journal |author=Victorian U.F.O. Research Society |year=1981 |title=Pilot Valentich, Death or Abduction? |journal=The Australian Annual Flying Saucer Review |publisher=Victorian U.F.O. Research Society}}</ref> | |||
| ===Ufologists=== | |||
| Speculation that a UFO was involved has been fueled by a number of factors, including Valentich's last transmission, in which he described the aircraft shadowing him as “hovering” and “not an aircraft”, the unexplained sounds that were heard at the end of his transmission, and a rash of UFO reports from the area.<ref name=clark1/> | |||
| ]. The aircraft in the image is not a Cessna 182, but a ].]] | |||
| ] have claimed that a UFO either destroyed Valentich's aircraft or ], saying that some individuals reported seeing "an erratically moving green light in the sky" and that he was "in a steep dive at the time". Ufologists believe these accounts are significant because of the "green light" mentioned in Valentich's radio transmissions.<ref name=clark1>{{cite book |last=Clark |first=Jerome |author-link=Jerome Clark |year=1998 |title=The UFO Book: Encyclopedia of the Extraterrestrial |url=https://archive.org/details/ufobookencyclope0000clar |url-access=registration |publisher=Visible Ink |isbn=1-57859-029-9}}</ref> However, the Mt Stromlo Observatory noted that there was a meteorite stream that night, with 10 to 15 sightings per hour.<ref name="Herald Sun"/> | |||
| The group Ground Saucer Watch, based in ], United States, claims that photos taken by plumber Roy Manifold on the day of Valentich's disappearance show a fast-moving object exiting the water near ].<ref name=melborne1>News Story (23 July 1980), The Standard (Melbourne)</ref> According to UFO writer ], Ground Saucer Watch argued that they showed "a bona fide unknown flying object, of moderate dimensions, apparently surrounded by a cloud-like vapour/exhaust residue", although the pictures were not clear enough to identify the object.<ref name="Clark2003">{{cite book|author=Jerome Clark|title=Strange Skies: Pilot Encounters With Ufos|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jT5juKHRdwIC&pg=PA168|year=2003|publisher=Kensington Publishing Corporation|isbn=978-0-8065-2299-9|pages=168–}}</ref> '']'' editor Jordan Liles suggested that the object was most likely an “out-of-focus ]” or a "] passing by".<ref name="Snopes"/> | |||
| ==Open Government records== | |||
| Australian Government's Department of Transport file was opened in 2012 under the 20 year rule.<ref>Rule - http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs10.aspx</ref> The ] (NAA) file reference on this document is: Series Number B1497, Control symbol V116/783/1047, Item Barcode 10491375, Title ''DSJ - Cape Otway to King Island 21 October 1978 - Aircraft Missing (Valentich)''. This document is 315 pages in length, and is open at the ].<ref>http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=10491375</ref><br> | |||
| '''NOTE:''' To see a digitized copy of this report, go to the and do a Basic search using Keywords "DSJ - Cape Otway to King Island 21 October 1978 - Aircraft Missing (Valentich)". Then click on "View digital copy". | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| A Department of Transport's Marine Operations Centre, a MARSAR (Marine Search and Rescue) file also in the 2012 open category is listed in the collections of the ] (NAA). The file reference on this document is: Series Number A4703, Control symbol 1978/1205, Item Barcode 11485989, Title ''VH-DSJ Light aircraft overdue King Island''. This document is 217 pages in length, and is open at the ].<ref> http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=11485989</ref><br> | |||
| '''NOTE:''' To see a digitized copy of this report, go to the and do a Basic search using Keywords "VH-DSJ Light aircraft overdue King Island". Then click on "View digital copy". | |||
| ==Transcript of the transmissions== | |||
| <gallery> | |||
| File:Valentich_Disappearance_1.jpg|] report (page 1) | |||
| File:Valentich_Disappearance_2.jpg|] report (page 2) | |||
| File:Valentich_Disappearance_3.jpg|] report (page 3) | |||
| </gallery> | |||
| The following is a transcript of the exchanges between Valentich and air traffic control, from the first three pages of the Australian Department of Transport report:<ref> from ufologie.net</ref> | |||
| 19:06:14 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. | |||
| 19:06:44 FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, What type of aircraft is it? | |||
| DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet, I cannot affirm, it is four bright, and it seems to me like landing lights. | |||
| FS: Delta Sierra Juliet. | |||
| 19:07:31 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. | |||
| 19:08:18 DSJ: Melbourne, it's approaching now from due east towards me. | |||
| FS: Delta Sierra Juliet. | |||
| 19:08:41 DSJ: (open microphone for two seconds.) | |||
| 19:08:48 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. | |||
| 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. | |||
| 19:09:27 DSJ: Melbourne, Delta Sierra Juliet, it's not an aircraft it is (open microphone for two seconds). | |||
| 19:09:42 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. | |||
| 19:10 FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, roger and how large would the - er - object be? | |||
| 19:10:19 DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet, Melbourne, it seems like it's chasing me.<ref>Based on their analysis of the transcript tape, Haines and Norman conclude that Valentich actually said "chasing me" rather than "stationary"</ref> 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 | |||
| 19:10:46 DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet (open microphone for three seconds) It's just vanished. | |||
| FS: Delta Sierra Juliet. | |||
| 19:11:00 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 | |||
| 19:11:50 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 (open microphone for one second) it's not an aircraft. | |||
| FS: Delta Sierra Juliet. | |||
| 19:12:28 DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet. Melbourne (open microphone for seventeen seconds). | |||
| ==See also== <!-- limit the list to annotated Australia-related articles --> | |||
| * ], the area where Valentich and his plane disappeared | |||
| * ], a 1966 case reported in Melbourne | |||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{reflist|2}} | {{reflist|2}} | ||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{commons category|Valentich disappearance}} | |||
| * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224041406/https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au//NAAMedia/ShowImage.asp?B=10491375&S=8&T=P |date=24 February 2021 }} | |||
| * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224063558/https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au//NAAMedia/ShowImage.asp?B=10491375&S=9&T=P |date=24 February 2021 }} | |||
| * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022172107/https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/NAAMedia/ShowImage.asp?B=10491375&S=10&T=P |date=22 October 2020 }} | |||
| * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221119101144/https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/BasicSearch.aspx |date=19 November 2022 }} | |||
| * , an ] episode featuring people who knew Frederick Valentich. | |||
| {{Aviation accidents and incidents in 1978}} | |||
| {{Aviation accidents and incidents in Australia}} | |||
| {{UFOs}} | {{UFOs}} | ||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Valentich disappearance}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Valentich, Frederick disappearance}} | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
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| ] | ] | ||
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| {{Link GA|pl}} | |||
Latest revision as of 00:17, 26 December 2024
1978 disappearance of a pilot over Bass Strait, Australia
 Valentich's intended route from Moorabbin Airport to King Island over Bass Strait | |
| Date | 21 October 1978 (aged 20) |
|---|---|
| Time | 19:12 AEST |
| Duration | Missing for 46 years, 2 months and 5 days |
| Location | Bass Strait, Australia |
| Coordinates | 39°24′S 143°45′E / 39.400°S 143.750°E / -39.400; 143.750 |
| Cause | Unknown |
| Missing | 1 |
Frederick Valentich (/ˈvæləntɪtʃ/) was an Australian pilot who disappeared while on a 125-nautical-mile (232 km) training flight in a Cessna 182L light aircraft, registered VH-DSJ, over Bass Strait. On the evening of Saturday 21 October 1978, twenty-year-old Valentich informed Melbourne air traffic control that he was being accompanied by an aircraft about 1,000 feet (300 m) above him and that his engine had begun running roughly, before finally reporting: "It's not an aircraft."
There were belated reports of a UFO sighting in Australia on the night of the disappearance; however, the Department of Transport was sceptical that a UFO was behind Valentich's disappearance, and some of their officials speculated that "Valentich became disorientated and saw his own lights reflected in the water, or lights from a nearby island, while flying upside down".
Frederick Valentich
Frederick Valentich (9 June 1958 – disappeared 21 October 1978) had about 150 total hours of flying time and held a class-four instrument rating, which authorised him to fly at night, but only "in visual meteorological conditions". He had twice applied to enlist in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), but was rejected because of inadequate educational qualifications. He was a member of the RAAF Air Training Corps, determined to have a career in aviation.
Valentich was studying part-time to become a commercial pilot but had a poor achievement record, having twice failed all five commercial licence examination subjects, and as recently as the month before his disappearance had failed three more commercial licence subjects. He had been involved in flying incidents, for example, straying into a controlled zone in Sydney, for which he received a warning, and twice deliberately flying into a cloud, for which prosecution was being considered. According to his father, Guido, Valentich was an ardent believer in UFOs and had been worried about being attacked by them. Six days before his disappearance, Valentich discussed with his girlfriend Rhonda Rushton the possibility of a UFO taking him away, according to her.
The destination of Valentich's final flight was King Island, but his motivation for the flight is unknown. He told flight officials that he was going to King Island to pick up some friends, while he told others that he was going to pick up crayfish. Later investigations found both stated reasons to be untrue. Valentich had also failed to inform King Island Airport of his intention to land there, going against "standard procedure".
Details
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Valentich radioed Melbourne Flight Service at 7:06 pm to report that an unidentified aircraft was following him at 4,500 feet (1,400 m). He was told there was no known traffic at that level. Valentich said he could see a large unknown aircraft which appeared to be illuminated by four bright landing lights. He was unable to confirm its type, but said it had passed about 1,000 feet (300 m) overhead and was moving at high speed. Valentich then reported that the aircraft was approaching him from the east and said the other pilot might be purposely toying with him. Valentich said the aircraft was "orbiting" above him and that it had a shiny metal surface and a green light on it. Valentich further reported that he was experiencing engine problems. Asked to identify the aircraft, Valentich radioed: "It's not an aircraft." His transmission was then interrupted by unidentified noise described as "metallic, scraping sounds" before all contact was lost.
Search and rescue
A sea and air search was undertaken that included oceangoing ship traffic, an RAAF Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft, plus eight civilian aircraft. The search encompassed over 1,000 square miles (2,600 km). Search efforts ceased on 25 October 1978 without result.
Official investigation
An investigation into Valentich's disappearance by the Australian Department of Transport was unable to determine the cause but it was "presumed fatal" for Valentich. Five years after Valentich's aircraft went missing, an engine cowl flap was found washed ashore on Flinders Island. In July 1983, the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation asked the Royal Australian Navy Research Laboratory (RANRL) about the likelihood that the cowl flap might have "travelled" to its ultimate position from the region where the aircraft disappeared. The bureau noted that "the part has been identified as having come from a Cessna 182 aircraft between a certain range of serial numbers", which included Valentich's aircraft.
Proposed explanations
Some Western Australia Department of Transport officials speculated that "Valentich became disorientated and saw his own lights reflected in the water, or lights from a nearby island, while flying upside down".
It has also been proposed that Valentich staged his own disappearance: even taking into account a trip of between 30 and 45 minutes to Cape Otway, the single-engine Cessna 182 still had enough fuel to fly 800 km (500 mi); despite ideal conditions, at no time was the aircraft plotted on radar, casting doubts as to whether it was ever near Cape Otway; and Melbourne police received reports of a light aircraft making a mysterious landing not far from Cape Otway at the same time as Valentich's disappearance.
There has also been speculation that Valentich committed suicide. According to UFOlogist Kieth Basterfield, interviews with doctors and colleagues who knew him virtually eliminated this possibility.
According to Brian Dunning, Valentich's radio conversation was similar to the dialogue from a scene in the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which was released less than a year before the disappearance, and was popular among pilots, young people and UFO fans. Dunning speculated that it is possible that Valentich was trying to imitate the scene for fun, and deliberately made his aircraft fly in a circular pattern in order to "give the radar guys something to see", but accidentally became disorientated and crashed into the water.
A 2013 review of the radio transcripts and other data by astronomer and retired United States Air Force pilot James McGaha and author Joe Nickell proposes that the inexperienced Valentich was deceived by the illusion of a tilted horizon for which he attempted to compensate and inadvertently put his aircraft into a downward, so-called "graveyard spiral" which he initially mistook for simple orbiting of the aircraft. According to the authors, the G-forces of a tightening spiral would decrease fuel flow, resulting in the "rough idling" reported by Valentich. McGaha and Nickell also propose that the apparently stationary, overhead lights that Valentich reported were probably the planets Venus, Mars and Mercury, along with the bright star Antares, which would have behaved in a way consistent with Valentich's description.
Ufologists
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Ufologists have claimed that a UFO either destroyed Valentich's aircraft or abducted him, saying that some individuals reported seeing "an erratically moving green light in the sky" and that he was "in a steep dive at the time". Ufologists believe these accounts are significant because of the "green light" mentioned in Valentich's radio transmissions. However, the Mt Stromlo Observatory noted that there was a meteorite stream that night, with 10 to 15 sightings per hour.
The group Ground Saucer Watch, based in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, claims that photos taken by plumber Roy Manifold on the day of Valentich's disappearance show a fast-moving object exiting the water near Cape Otway Lighthouse. According to UFO writer Jerome Clark, Ground Saucer Watch argued that they showed "a bona fide unknown flying object, of moderate dimensions, apparently surrounded by a cloud-like vapour/exhaust residue", although the pictures were not clear enough to identify the object. Snopes editor Jordan Liles suggested that the object was most likely an “out-of-focus fly” or a "bird passing by".
See also
References
- ^ Nickell, Joe (November 2013). "The Valentich Disappearance: Another UFO Cold Case Solved". Volume 37.6, November/December 2013. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ^ "UFO Enthusiast Missing After Reporting Craft". Toledo (OH) Blade. Associated Press. 10 October 1978. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- ^ Dunn, Mark (5 April 2014). "UFO suspicions still cloud disappearance of Frederick Valentich". Herald Sun. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ Liles, Jordan (3 December 2021). "Frederick Valentich's 'UFO' Sighting and Disappearance". Snopes. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ "Search for pilot who saw UFO, then disappeared discontinued". United Press International. 26 October 1978. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
- "After spotting UFO Pilot disappears". Ellensburg (OR) Daily Record. United Press International. 23 October 1978. p. 8. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
- "National Archives of Australia" (PDF). recordsearch.naa.gov.au. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- Melbourne Age, 28 October 1978, p. 1
- ^ The Australian, 24 October 1978, pp. 1–2
- Kemp, Miles (6 July 2012). "'Truth' was out there after all". The Advertiser. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- Dunning, Brian (22 October 2013). "Skeptoid #385: The Disappearance of Frederick Valentich". Skeptoid. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- Clark, Jerome (1998). The UFO Book: Encyclopedia of the Extraterrestrial. Visible Ink. ISBN 1-57859-029-9.
- News Story (23 July 1980), The Standard (Melbourne)
- Jerome Clark (2003). Strange Skies: Pilot Encounters With Ufos. Kensington Publishing Corporation. pp. 168–. ISBN 978-0-8065-2299-9.
External links
- Department of Transport Aircraft Investigation Summary Report p. 8 Archived 24 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine
- Department of Transport Aircraft Investigation Summary Report p. 9 Archived 24 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine
- Department of Transport Aircraft Investigation Summary Report p. 10 Archived 22 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine
- Australian Government National Archives Search Archived 19 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine
- Last Flight - The Valentich Disappearance, an ABC Listen episode featuring people who knew Frederick Valentich.
