The Kecksburg UFO Incident

Mockup of the Kecksburg UFO object on display at the Kecksburg fire station

On December 9, 1965, a dazzling fireball (reportedly dropping hot metal debris and triggering sonic booms) was watched by thousands of spectators, both American and Canadian, in the skies above the Great Lakes region of North America. On the same day a fiery crash allegedly took place in the woods near Kecksburg, Pennsylvania. An occurrence which would become known in UFO circles as the "Kecksburg UFO Incident."

Apparently the first documented observation of the event came in the form of a 6:30 p.m. telephone call to WHJB a Pennsylvania radio station from eyewitness Francis Kalp, who after witnessing blue smoke deep in the woods had along with her children investigated and observed something which she described as a “four pointed star.” John Murphy a station employee relayed the information to the State Police, who in turn purportedly contacted Kalp and arranged a meeting.

Later while the police searched the woods and while waiting for a police report Murphy interviewed the Kalps. Following their search, the police, who had suddenly become tight lipped, informed Murphy they were calling in the military after which they officially stated that they'd found nothing. Murphy was surprised to say the least, why if they had found nothing would the police bother to call in the military?

Murphy continuing his investigation, apparently overheard a police officer talking about a “pulsating blue light” and that a second excursion into the woods this time with the military in attendance was about to take place. Intrigued Murphy tagged along only to be stopped at the woods edge; the area was being cordoned off.

Unfortunately for the authorities, a few of the locals including members of the Kecksburg Fire Department had allegedly investigated the crash before the military’s arrival and what they saw, if true, was remarkable, a bronze acorn shaped object 10 to 12 feet in height with hieroglyphics along its base. Some witnesses also clamed to have seen the object being later removed on a flatbed truck. [1]

Murphy apparently convinced a cover-up of some sort was underway and here the story becomes somewhat inconsistent, decided to write a documentary called “Object in the Woods,” only to be paid a visit shortly before it was to air by two government officials "men in black?" who after a short interview with Murphy confiscated pictures and audiotapes related to the event. [3] The documentary when it finally aired was according to the stations manager a watered down version of the original with no mention of the object.

Murphy became uncommonly moody following the airing refusing to talk further on the subject. In 1969 he died following a hit and run while on vacation.

The object which the Air force had first declared to be non existent, then to be a meteorite, was in 2005 (after admitting it had examined debris) declared by NASA to have been a Russian satellite. Although exactly what satellite remains in doubt, the records which a court judge had insisted NASA diligently search for having apparently been misplaced.

That the Kecksburg object was in fact part of the Soviet Cosmos 96 Venus probe (Cosmos 96, launched November 23, 1965, re-entered the atmosphere after failing to leave Earth orbit) is a possibility but by no means a certainty.

[1] A USAF officer was to later come forward and claim that he had guarded a flatbed which had arrived at Lockbourne AFB on December 10 and on which was a tarpaulin covered object. The truck only remained a short time, then left, its destination purportedly Wright Patterson AFB. [2]

[2] A story partial corroborated by a second witness, a contractor delivering bricks to Wright Patterson, who claimed that he had seen a bell shaped object approximately 10 to 12 feet in height being examined by investigators in radiation suits.

[3] Station manager Mabel Mazza did apparently see one of the photographs describing it as “a picture of a cone shaped thing, dark and with a lot of trees.”

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