Portage County UFO Chase

The Portage County UFO chase is a landmark case for one simple reason: experienced police officers pursued an unknown object for over 80 miles across two states, maintaining visual contact, coordinating with other departments, and ending up bewildered when the Air Force told them they had chased the planet Venus.

April 17, 1966 - The Early Hours

At approximately 5:00 AM, Deputy Sheriff Dale Spaur and Mounted Deputy Wilbur Neff were investigating an abandoned vehicle on Route 224 near Ravenna, Ohio, when they witnessed something extraordinary:

The Object: A large, brightly glowing object rose from a nearby field. It was approximately 50 feet across, disc-shaped with a dome, and emitted a brilliant light that illuminated the ground.

The Ascent: The object rose smoothly and began moving east.

The Decision: Against all protocol and common sense, Spaur decided to follow it. Thus began one of the most dramatic UFO pursuits ever documented.

The Chase

What followed was an 86-mile, two-state pursuit at speeds often exceeding 100 mph:

Ohio Leg: Spaur and Neff pursued the object across Portage County into Mahoning County, then into Columbiana County.

Radio Communication: They maintained radio contact with dispatchers, reporting their position and the object’s behavior.

Additional Officers: Other officers joined the chase or positioned themselves to observe. Officer Wayne Huston in East Palestine, Ohio, saw the object and the pursuing cruiser pass through town.

Pennsylvania: The chase continued into Pennsylvania, where Conway Police Officer Frank Panzanella observed the object hovering, with Spaur’s cruiser arriving shortly after.

The End: Low on fuel after the high-speed pursuit, Spaur and Neff were forced to stop in Conway, Pennsylvania. The object remained visible, hovering, before departing upward at high speed.

The Witnesses

Multiple law enforcement officers witnessed the event:

Deputy Sheriff Dale Spaur: The primary pursuer, a highly decorated officer who conducted the chase.

Mounted Deputy Wilbur Neff: Spaur’s partner, who was in the cruiser throughout.

Officer Wayne Huston (East Palestine, Ohio): Observed the object and the chase pass through his jurisdiction.

Officer Frank Panzanella (Conway, Pennsylvania): Witnessed the hovering object and met Spaur and Neff at the end of the chase.

Officer Gerald Buchert (Mantua, Ohio): Photographed the object.

All of these men were trained observers - law enforcement professionals who spent their careers observing and reporting accurately.

The Object Description

The officers provided consistent descriptions:

Shape: Disc-shaped with a dome or raised section on top.

Size: Estimated at 40-50 feet in diameter.

Illumination: Brightly glowing, bright enough to light up the ground underneath it.

Movement: Could hover, move at tremendous speed, and change direction smoothly.

Sound: Silent or nearly so despite the apparent power.

Altitude: Varied from very low (treetop level) to several hundred feet during the chase.

The Air Force Investigation

Project Blue Book investigated the incident:

The Interview: Blue Book investigator Major Hector Quintanilla visited the area.

The Conclusion: The Air Force concluded that the officers had initially seen a satellite (Echo) and then chased the planet Venus.

The Reaction: The officers were incredulous. Spaur reportedly asked if Quintanilla had ever chased Venus at 100 mph.

Why the Explanation Failed

The Venus explanation was widely ridiculed:

Officers’ Experience: These were experienced men who knew what Venus looked like.

The Movement: Venus doesn’t pace a moving car at treetop level.

Multiple Witnesses: Different officers in different locations all saw the same object making the same impossible maneuvers.

The Duration: The pursuit lasted approximately 30 minutes - far too long for a misidentification of a celestial object.

Illumination: Venus doesn’t light up the ground beneath it.

Even J. Allen Hynek, who conducted Blue Book’s scientific consulting, privately disagreed with the Venus explanation.

The Personal Cost

The incident devastated the primary witness:

Dale Spaur’s Life: Following the incident and the official dismissal, Spaur’s life fell apart:

• He was ridiculed by colleagues and superiors
• His marriage ended
• He left law enforcement
• He experienced severe depression

Spaur had made the “mistake” of honestly reporting what he saw. The system punished him for it.

Other Officers: The other witnesses also faced pressure and ridicule, though perhaps not to the same degree as Spaur.

The Significance

The Portage County chase is significant for several reasons:

Multiple Officers: This wasn’t one person’s claim - it was multiple law enforcement professionals across multiple jurisdictions.

Extended Duration: A 30-minute, 86-mile pursuit provided extensive observation time.

Real-Time Documentation: Radio communications documented the chase as it happened.

Cross-State: The object was observed crossing from Ohio into Pennsylvania by multiple witnesses.

Official Absurdity: The Venus explanation demonstrated the Air Force’s approach to explaining away UFO sightings regardless of evidence.

Legacy

The case became famous in UFO history:

Media Coverage: National press covered the chase.

Books: William Weitzel’s detailed investigation was published.

Documentary Appearances: The case has been featured in numerous UFO documentaries.

Symbol of Ridicule: The case became an example of how the Air Force’s explanations insulted witnesses’ intelligence.

What Happened?

On a spring morning in 1966, Ohio police officers chased something across two states. It wasn’t Venus. It wasn’t a satellite. It was a structured, glowing craft that could hover and move at tremendous speed.

The government said they were wrong. The officers knew what they saw. And the truth of that April morning remains officially unexplained.

Sources

• William Weitzel investigation
• Project Blue Book files
• Officer testimonies
• Portage County UFO chase - Wikipedia