William Schaffner
Encyclopedia
Captain William Schaffner (born September 11, 1941 - September 8, 1970) was a pilot in the United States Air Force
. He died in an incident in 1970 over the North Sea
. Although unsubstantiated and in conflict with the official reports, UFO enthusiasts claim the incident was the result of contact with a UFO.
at RAF Binbrook
in north-east Lincolnshire
, England
. Binbrook was one of the bases, along with RAF Coningsby
(which flew Phantom
s), that was on Quick Reaction Alert. On the evening of September 8, 1970, an object was spotted over the North Sea by radar and he was on duty so took off to follow the object. His callsign was Foxtrot 94.
on the island of Unst
in the north of the Shetland Islands. The object has travelling at 630 mph at 37,000 ft heading south-west between Norway and the Shetland Islands. It changed direction to south, and increased speed to 900 mph at 44,000 ft. Two Lightning
planes were scrambled from RAF Leuchars
in Fife
, east Scotland
. The object on the radar screen then inexplicably changed direction by 180 degrees and disappeared off the radar screen. The speed of the object at this point was later calculated to be around 17,000 mph. The object appeared a few times for the next hour, with planes being scrambled, only for the object to disappear from the radar screen again. Two USAF Phantoms were scrambled from the USAF base at Keflavik
in Iceland. These planes had more sophisticated radar than the (British) Lightning planes. They were unable to intercept the object.
at RAF Fylingdales
and by the USAF radar station at Thule Air Base
in Greenland
and the Cheyenne Mountain
radar base in Colorado Springs, Colorado
, USA. The Lightning planes were asked to return to their base in Leuchars
, and the Phantom planes patrolled the area. At 21.30, the object was picked up on radar again at 1,300 mph (twice the speed of sound) at 18,000 ft heading south-west over the north of Denmark
. Two Lightning planes were scrambled from RAF Leuchars, to patrol to the north-east of Aberdeen
, and two Lightning planes were scrambled from RAF Coltishall
. The Strategic Air Command
headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base
near Omaha, Nebraska
was informed of the incident as well as NORAD
at Cheyenne Mountain. A Shackleton
maritime plane that had been patrolling the Firth of Forth
then circled the area around Flamborough Head
.
, took off from Binbrook in the Lightning plane XS894 at 22.06. He had boarded the plane whilst its fuel tanks were still being filled. The plane was armed with two Red Top
air-to-air missile
s. The object was flying at 530 mph ninety miles east of Whitby
and parallel to the coast at 6,000 ft. It was tracked by RAF Staxton Wold
in North Yorkshire
.
When flying alongside the object, Captain Schaffner claimed the object was a conical shape with an intensely bright blue light. He also noticed a 'glass ball' flying nearby. Radio contact was lost with Captain Schaffner as the radar operator at RAF Staxton Wold saw both the unidentified object and the Lightning plane 'merge' on the radar screen. This merged object rapidly decelerated from 500 mph to become stationary at 6,000 ft over the North Sea. Two minutes later the object accelerated to 600 mph and climbed to 9,000 ft heading south. The object seen on the radar screen then separated into two with one object turning by 180 degrees, heading north-west and accelerating to 20,000 mph, and the other object continued at 600 mph descending slowly heading south. Radio contact was renewed with Captain Schaffner, who then complained of feeling dizzy and seeing shooting stars. The aircraft instruments were not working correctly. He claimed to have blacked out
. He was told by the operator at RAF Staxton Wold to ditch
the aircraft in the sea. The plane had enough fuel to reach Binbrook. The Shackleton then claimed to have observed the aircraft in the sea. Lifeboats searched the area.
(now the Air Accidents Investigation Branch
) at Farnborough
.
around Cleethorpes
. At RAF Donna Nook
, a large (180 ft long) UFO was seen hovering for many hours by RAF personnel and was accompanied by 'glass ball' objects.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. He died in an incident in 1970 over the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. Although unsubstantiated and in conflict with the official reports, UFO enthusiasts claim the incident was the result of contact with a UFO.
September 1970 incident
In September 1970, Captain Schaffner was an American exchange pilot flying with the RAFRoyal 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...
at RAF Binbrook
RAF Binbrook
RAF Binbrook was a Bomber Command station during World War II. After the war it was amongst others the home of the Central Fighter Establishment...
in north-east Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Binbrook was one of the bases, along with RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England. It has been commanded by Group Captain Martin Sampson since 10 December 2010.-Operational units:...
(which flew Phantom
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
s), that was on Quick Reaction Alert. On the evening of September 8, 1970, an object was spotted over the North Sea by radar and he was on duty so took off to follow the object. His callsign was Foxtrot 94.
Initial radar observation
An object was picked up on radar at 20.18 by an operator at RAF Saxa VordRAF Saxa Vord
RAF Saxa Vord was a radar station operated by the Royal Air Force. It was situated on the island of Unst, one of the Shetland Islands in the north of Scotland. Its radar provided long-range coverage of the airspace to the North of Scotland...
on the island of Unst
Unst
Unst is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is the northernmost of the inhabited British Isles and is the third largest island in Shetland after the Mainland and Yell. It has an area of .Unst is largely grassland, with coastal cliffs...
in the north of the Shetland Islands. The object has travelling at 630 mph at 37,000 ft heading south-west between Norway and the Shetland Islands. It changed direction to south, and increased speed to 900 mph at 44,000 ft. Two Lightning
English Electric Lightning
The English Electric Lightning is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, noted for its great speed and unpainted natural metal exterior finish. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. The aircraft was renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor; Royal Air Force ...
planes were scrambled from RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...
in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, east Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The object on the radar screen then inexplicably changed direction by 180 degrees and disappeared off the radar screen. The speed of the object at this point was later calculated to be around 17,000 mph. The object appeared a few times for the next hour, with planes being scrambled, only for the object to disappear from the radar screen again. Two USAF Phantoms were scrambled from the USAF base at Keflavik
Naval Air Station Keflavik
United States Naval Air Station Keflavik is a former NATO facility at Keflavík International Airport, Iceland. It is located on the Reykjanes peninsula on the south-west portion of the island...
in Iceland. These planes had more sophisticated radar than the (British) Lightning planes. They were unable to intercept the object.
Further radar observation
The object was then tracked by the early warning stationBallistic Missile Early Warning System
The United States Air Force Ballistic Missile Early Warning System was the first operational ballistic missile detection radar. The original system was built in 1959 and could provide long-range warning of a ballistic missile attack over the polar region of the Northern Hemisphere. They also...
at RAF Fylingdales
RAF Fylingdales
RAF Fylingdales is a Royal Air Force station on Snod Hill in the North York Moors, England. Its motto is "Vigilamus" . It is a radar base and part of the United States-controlled Ballistic Missile Early Warning System...
and by the USAF radar station at Thule Air Base
Thule Air Base
Thule Air Base or Thule Air Base/Pituffik Airport , is the United States Air Force's northernmost base, located north of the Arctic Circle and from the North Pole on the northwest side of the island of Greenland. It is approximately east of the North Magnetic Pole.-Overview:Thule Air Base is the...
in Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
and the Cheyenne Mountain
Cheyenne Mountain
Cheyenne Mountain is a mountain located just outside the southwest side of Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., and is home to the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station and its Cheyenne Mountain Directorate, formerly known as the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center .Throughout the Cold War and...
radar base in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, USA. The Lightning planes were asked to return to their base in Leuchars
Leuchars
Leuchars is a small town near the north-east coast of Fife in Scotland.The town is nearly to the north of the village of Guardbridge, which lies on the north bank of the River Eden where it widens to the Edenmouth estuary before joining the North Sea at St Andrews Bay. Leuchars is north-east of...
, and the Phantom planes patrolled the area. At 21.30, the object was picked up on radar again at 1,300 mph (twice the speed of sound) at 18,000 ft heading south-west over the north of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. Two Lightning planes were scrambled from RAF Leuchars, to patrol to the north-east of Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, and two Lightning planes were scrambled from RAF Coltishall
RAF Coltishall
The former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....
. The Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...
near Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
was informed of the incident as well as NORAD
North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command is a joint organization of Canada and the United States that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for the two countries. Headquarters NORAD is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado...
at Cheyenne Mountain. A Shackleton
Avro Shackleton
The Avro Shackleton was a British long-range maritime patrol aircraft for use by the Royal Air Force. It was developed by Avro from the Avro Lincoln bomber with a new fuselage...
maritime plane that had been patrolling the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
then circled the area around Flamborough Head
Flamborough Head
Flamborough Head is a promontory of on the Yorkshire coast of England, between the Filey and Bridlington bays of the North Sea. It is a chalk headland, and the resistance it offers to coastal erosion may be contrasted with the low coast of Holderness to the south...
.
Contact with the object
Captain Schaffner, of 5 SquadronNo. 5 Squadron RAF
No. 5 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is the operator of the new Sentinel R1 Airborne STand-Off Radar aircraft and is based at RAF Waddington.-History:As No...
, took off from Binbrook in the Lightning plane XS894 at 22.06. He had boarded the plane whilst its fuel tanks were still being filled. The plane was armed with two Red Top
Hawker Siddeley Red Top
The Hawker Siddeley Red Top was the third indigenous British air-to-air missile to enter service, following the de Havilland Firestreak and limited-service Fairey Fireflash.-Development:...
air-to-air missile
Air-to-air missile
An air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...
s. The object was flying at 530 mph ninety miles east of Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
and parallel to the coast at 6,000 ft. It was tracked by RAF Staxton Wold
RAF Staxton Wold
RAF Staxton Wold is a Royal Air Force radar station near Scarborough in North Yorkshire.The official RAF descriptions states that RAF Staxton Wold has been used as an early warning station since the 3rd Century AD, when it was the site of a warning beacon. It was first used as a radar station in...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
.
When flying alongside the object, Captain Schaffner claimed the object was a conical shape with an intensely bright blue light. He also noticed a 'glass ball' flying nearby. Radio contact was lost with Captain Schaffner as the radar operator at RAF Staxton Wold saw both the unidentified object and the Lightning plane 'merge' on the radar screen. This merged object rapidly decelerated from 500 mph to become stationary at 6,000 ft over the North Sea. Two minutes later the object accelerated to 600 mph and climbed to 9,000 ft heading south. The object seen on the radar screen then separated into two with one object turning by 180 degrees, heading north-west and accelerating to 20,000 mph, and the other object continued at 600 mph descending slowly heading south. Radio contact was renewed with Captain Schaffner, who then complained of feeling dizzy and seeing shooting stars. The aircraft instruments were not working correctly. He claimed to have blacked out
G-LOC
G-LOC, pronounced 'GEE-lock', is the abbreviation of G-force induced Loss Of Consciousness, a term generally used in aerospace physiology to describe a loss of consciousness occurring from excessive and sustained g-forces draining blood away from the brain causing cerebral hypoxia...
. He was told by the operator at RAF Staxton Wold to ditch
Water landing
A water landing is, in the broadest sense, any landing on a body of water. All waterfowl, those seabirds capable of flight, and some human-built vehicles are capable of landing in water as a matter of course....
the aircraft in the sea. The plane had enough fuel to reach Binbrook. The Shackleton then claimed to have observed the aircraft in the sea. Lifeboats searched the area.
Removal of the crashed Lightning
Three weeks later, the plane was located on the sea bed. On October 7, 1970, Royal Navy divers located the plane. The plane was recovered from the sea three months later and was remarkably intact. The canopy was closed but there was no sign of the body of Captain Schaffner. The wreckage was taken back to RAF Binbrook for investigation. Normally this would have happened at the MOD Crash Investigation Branch, part of the Royal Aircraft EstablishmentRoyal Aircraft Establishment
The Royal Aircraft Establishment , was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence , before finally losing its identity in mergers with other institutions.The first site was at Farnborough...
(now the Air Accidents Investigation Branch
Air Accidents Investigation Branch
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch investigates air accidents in the United Kingdom. It is a branch of the Department for Transport and is based on the grounds of Farnborough Airport near Aldershot, Rushmoor, Hampshire.-History:...
) at Farnborough
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
.
Other incidents the same year
In the period of Autumn 1970 to Spring 1971, UFOs were seen over the Lincolnshire coastLincolnshire coast
The coast of Lincolnshire runs for more than down the North Sea coast of eastern England, from the estuary of the Humber to the marshlands of the Wash, where it meets Norfolk...
around Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes is a town and unparished area in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the Humber. It has a population of 31,853 and is a seaside resort.- History :...
. At RAF Donna Nook
RAF Donna Nook
RAF Donna Nook is a bombing range in East Lindsey in north-east Lincolnshire in England. It is maintained by the RAF and used by British and NATO war planes.-History:...
, a large (180 ft long) UFO was seen hovering for many hours by RAF personnel and was accompanied by 'glass ball' objects.