Wales UFO sightings
Encyclopedia
The Wales UFO sightings were unexplained UFO
sightings across south Wales
in June and September 2008.
helicopter with three experienced crew onboard was above MOD St Athan, an RAF base, waiting to land in order to refuel. The Control Tower from the nearby Cardiff International Airport
had recently given the helicopter
clearance to do so as they had no reports nor radar evidence of any other craft in the vicinity.
Whilst awaiting permission to land and hovering above the air base at a height of about 500 ft (152.4 m), the crew noticed a brightly lit object above them. The crew described it as "flying saucer
shaped". Then suddenly, the object hurtled down towards them at "great speed." The pilot quickly took evasive action, banking the aircraft sharply. The object then sped away and the helicopter crew decided to give chase.
They pursued the object at close to the helicopter's maximum speed out over the Bristol Channel
until, not far from the North Devon Coast, their fuel level, which was the main reason they happened to be above the RAF base in the first place, became critical and they were forced to give up the pursuit.
While the helicopter was equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, the object was not captured on film. The crew have since stated that the object could not be seen with night vision goggles but was "clearly visible" to the naked eye.
The object was also sighted by George Withrington, a retired RAF
glider pilot from St Mellons
, Cardiff
. He reported seeing something "Peculiar with lots of flashing lights" later that same day while reading in his garden at about 16:20 hours on June 8th.
"I was looking at an aeroplane overhead when I spotted this thing that was in the corner of my eye. It shifted direction very quickly, in the blink of an eye. I looked at it for quite a while, I was watching it for at least 10 minutes. It flew off towards the east, towards Newport
."
newspaper. A source for The Sun said:
"They [the crew] are convinced it was a UFO. It sounds far-fetched, but they know what they saw."
A spokesman for South Wales Police said:
"We can confirm the Air Support Unit
sighted an unusual aircraft. This was reported to the relevant authorities for their investigation."
and also:
"The crew are very experienced and responded in a professional manner in relation to what they saw. In today's skies, there are a wide variety of aircraft which come in a range of different shapes and sizes and in all probability, this sighting has just confirmed that one of these was in the area at the relevant time."
The Ministry of Defence
has said it has "...received or heard nothing of the incident...But it is certainly not advisable for police helicopters to go chasing what they think are UFOs"
South Wales Police have officially, and vigorously, denied that the helicopter pursued the object.
At present, the incident remains unexplained.
Unidentified flying object
A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
sightings across south Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
in June and September 2008.
Summary
At 00:40 AM, June 8 2008, a South Wales PoliceSouth Wales Police
South Wales Police is one of the four territorial police forces in Wales. Its headquarters are based in Bridgend.Covering Wales' capital city, Cardiff, as well as Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Swansea, and the western South Wales Valleys, it is the largest police force in Wales in terms of population,...
helicopter with three experienced crew onboard was above MOD St Athan, an RAF base, waiting to land in order to refuel. The Control Tower from the nearby Cardiff International Airport
Cardiff International Airport
Cardiff Airport is an international airport serving Cardiff, and the rest of South, Mid and West Wales. Around 1.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010....
had recently given the helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
clearance to do so as they had no reports nor radar evidence of any other craft in the vicinity.
Whilst awaiting permission to land and hovering above the air base at a height of about 500 ft (152.4 m), the crew noticed a brightly lit object above them. The crew described it as "flying saucer
Flying saucer
A flying saucer is a type of unidentified flying object sometimes believed to be of alien origin with a disc or saucer-shaped body, usually described as silver or metallic, occasionally reported as covered with running lights or surrounded with a glowing light, hovering or moving rapidly either...
shaped". Then suddenly, the object hurtled down towards them at "great speed." The pilot quickly took evasive action, banking the aircraft sharply. The object then sped away and the helicopter crew decided to give chase.
They pursued the object at close to the helicopter's maximum speed out over the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
until, not far from the North Devon Coast, their fuel level, which was the main reason they happened to be above the RAF base in the first place, became critical and they were forced to give up the pursuit.
While the helicopter was equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, the object was not captured on film. The crew have since stated that the object could not be seen with night vision goggles but was "clearly visible" to the naked eye.
The object was also sighted by George Withrington, a retired RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
glider pilot from St Mellons
St Mellons
St Mellons is a district and suburb of eastern Cardiff, the capital city of Wales.-History:St Mellons began as a small commercial centre in the historic county of Monmouthshire, relying heavily on rural agriculture, farming and travel...
, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. He reported seeing something "Peculiar with lots of flashing lights" later that same day while reading in his garden at about 16:20 hours on June 8th.
"I was looking at an aeroplane overhead when I spotted this thing that was in the corner of my eye. It shifted direction very quickly, in the blink of an eye. I looked at it for quite a while, I was watching it for at least 10 minutes. It flew off towards the east, towards Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
."
Aftermath
The event received wide publicity in the local and national media, including a front page column and full page spread in The SunThe Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper. A source for The Sun said:
"They [the crew] are convinced it was a UFO. It sounds far-fetched, but they know what they saw."
A spokesman for South Wales Police said:
"We can confirm the Air Support Unit
Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit
The Air Support Unit is a Central Operations branch of London's Metropolitan Police Service. The main responsibility of the unit is to provide aerial reconnaissance and other air support operations...
sighted an unusual aircraft. This was reported to the relevant authorities for their investigation."
and also:
"The crew are very experienced and responded in a professional manner in relation to what they saw. In today's skies, there are a wide variety of aircraft which come in a range of different shapes and sizes and in all probability, this sighting has just confirmed that one of these was in the area at the relevant time."
The Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
has said it has "...received or heard nothing of the incident...But it is certainly not advisable for police helicopters to go chasing what they think are UFOs"
South Wales Police have officially, and vigorously, denied that the helicopter pursued the object.
At present, the incident remains unexplained.