March 1950, Another Busy Month For Ufo Sightings

One of the first sightings of March – which saw a dramatic increase once more in UFO encounters – would unfold on the 1^st of the month over the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The main witness, Robert Ostos, an aeronautic official, would report that an “unexplained object of metallic appearance” hovered over the region for around five minutes at an altitude of around 15,000 feet. It would then speed off at breakneck speed toward the south.

Ostos would report the incident himself to the El National newspaper. However, when the publication contacted Mexican authorities for follow-up information on the investigation they were met with silence on the matter.

On the same date in the United States in Knoxville, Tennessee, despite there being some division as to the authenticity of the account, radar equipment would pick up several strange objects in the region at an estimated altitude of 40,000 feet. Checks with airports and authorities would confirm that no other planes were in the region at the time.

The following day, in the morning at approximately 11 am, and once more at 10 pm, as well as on the afternoon of the 3^rd March, radar equipment would again pick these strange anomalies. What’s more, on these repeat sightings, the objects had increased their altitude to 80,000 feet and were traveling at around 200 miles per hour.

The US Air Force would put the radar reading down to faulty equipment or possibly due to a nearby atomic plant. With this last point in mind, the atomic plant very well may have been the point of interest of these strange visitors.

Whatever the cause of the strange sightings over Knoxville, several hours later, similar incidents were unfolding over Selfridge Air Force Base in Michigan.

The Selfridge Air Force Base Incident Although the witness would remain anonymous, a serving member of the United States Air Force stationed at Selfridge Air Force Base in Michigan would have several strange sightings beginning a little after 11 pm on the evening of 3^rd March.

The officer in question was on his way from the Officer’s Club toward the main gate of the facility when he noticed a strange object descending directly over the Post Exchange building. At an altitude of around 5,000 feet, the object stopped its descent and hovered for approximately 60 seconds before moving off toward the west. It would eventually disappear into the distance out of his sight. From his first noticing the object to the point it vanished, four minutes had passed.

The officer would also offer that the “great speed in the lateral plane” and its “rapid change in direction” distinguished it from both conventional aircraft and other “heavenly bodies”.

Five days later, the witness experienced a similar incident. While on radar duty during interceptor exercises, another strange object appeared on the radar screen. This time, it appeared to be around 20,000 feet above the F-80 jets that the witness was overseeing.

When the radar data was later analyzed, it was estimated the object was moving anywhere from 420 miles per hour its slower speeds to in the region of 2,500 miles per hour at its higher speeds. Military investigations into the incident would suggest an aerial anomaly had caused the radar reading.

The Houston Village Theater Sighting

A sighting on the 5^th March in Houston was witnessed by a bus driver and a family who were passengers on his bus after visiting the Village Theater in the city. Despite the increasing number of sightings and reports being made all around the United States and the newspaper coverage that these incidents were receiving, the witnesses were hesitant to make a report at first, fearing ridicule if they should do so.

However, ultimately, they would come forward and volunteer what they had seen. As the driver put the vehicle in motion on the evening in question after picking up the family near the Village Theater, he would spot the strange “glowing auto tire” hovering over the top of the Meilie Experson Building.

As the strange object moved in a bizarre “left-right” motion overhead, the driver also noticed that it appeared to have a tail similar to a kite. The family on the bus would corroborate the driver’s statements, with one of the children, a 10-year-old girl, claiming it was “better than the movie” they had just seen.

Strangely, in the days following the report of the sighting, the bus driver would claim to receive a visit from a Mr. Crawford, who claimed to be a “government agent”. What’s more, he was keen to discuss the bus driver’s recent sighting in more detail.

During the month of March, UFO sightings were literally a daily occurrence, with most days being witness to multiple sightings. An incident on 8^th March across the Texas border in Mexico, however, would stand out more than most.

The “Midget Pilot” Incident, Mexico City, Mexico

According to a report in the 9^th March edition of the Washington Herald, a “chemicals and explosives expert” witnessed the ruins of an “ultra-streamlined flying saucer” in the mountains on the outskirts of Mexico City the previous day. Furthermore, whether through invitation or not, “top US officials” had visited the site and explored the wreckage.

The witness, Robert Dimmick, who was in the area on business for his employers the Apache Powder Co., claimed to have seen a part of the wreckage up-close – a “sheet of metal” that appeared similar to aluminum but was “much harder”.

Furthermore, and using the information given to him by associate businessmen in the region, a small occupant pilot was also discovered in the wreckage. The body, according to Dimmick, was now “embalmed for scientific study”.

The account is another that divides opinion within the UFO community. It is perhaps worth remembering what we mentioned in the opening. That many newspaper articles, seemingly with information being discreetly fed by the Air Force, were creating a layer of disinformation among the UFO accounts of the era. Almost as if they had prior knowledge of the wave that was upcoming. Was this account one of those or a genuine incident?

UFO Chase Over Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Whether the account of Robert Dimmick is genuine or not, back in the United States, at approximately the same time, another UFO encounter was unfolding. At a little after 10 am over Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

As the Trans-World Airlines plane made its way through the Ohio skies, the Civil Aviation Authority would receive a report from its captain. According to the communication, a “gleaming UFO was visible” from their position. The anomaly was simply hovering over their position. Furthermore, the CAA would receive around 20 separate calls referring to the strange objects hovering overhead.

Even more crucial, multiple witnesses would view the object from the ground, including those at the air force base and the Technical Intelligence Center. Radar operators would further pick up the object as F-51 fighter jets were preparing to scramble on intercept missions. As they left the runway, radar operators would advise them of where their target was.

It appeared to be at high altitude – at least 15,000 feet – but the jets had the strange craft within their sights. Then, however, a bank of clouds rolled over and obscured their view. By the time they refocused, the object had vanished.

They would spread out and head into the clouds. However, it would soon become apparent that they were much thicker than they expected. Furthermore, their instruments and equipment icing up at an incredible rate. Their radars, though, claimed they were almost on top of their target. However, with the cloud continuing to thicken the pursuit was abandoned.

Multiple Sightings Everyday, All Times Of Day And Night

As the end of March neared, UFO activity was going into overdrive. And not just in the United States. Mexico, for example, at least according to some of the newspaper reports of the time, was experiencing “fantastic phenomena” with visits from “silvery balls”, “luminous discs”, and “strange objects”.

Furthermore, whether in the North American continent, South America, Europe, or wherever such reports were coming from during this time, the vast majority were seemingly of “saucer” or “disc” shaped crafts, usually a glistening silver in color.

Night sightings were usually accompanied by strange glowing lights, usually red, white, or green. And while these strange crafts certainly appeared to have the capabilities to pick up great speeds, many of these sightings in the opening months of the 1950s featured prolonged periods of calm flight or even hovering in one spot for several minutes. Almost as if some kind of surveillance was taking place as part of a global reconnaissance mission.

One particular incident from the end of March that stands out took place on the evening of 20^th March over Stuttgart in Arkansas. At just before 9:30 pm, Chicago and Southern Airlines pilots, Captain Jack Adams and First Officer Gary Anderson were flying a DC-34 over the region when they witnessed a disc-shaped object approaching their location.

The pilots would estimate the object to be approximately 100 feet across with a light on the top in the middle which would blink or flash. On the underside were several evenly spaced and perfectly symmetrical ovals from which a “soft purple light” leaked out. After approximately 30 seconds, the object vanished as fast as it had arrived.

While the vast majority of sightings were still very much in the United States and the North American continent as the second quarter of 1950 began, there was a distinct increase in sightings coming from all other areas of the world. Reports were coming from everywhere, from Australia and Japan, the Far East, Africa, and all over Europe. NOTE: The top image is CGI.

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