Back to Events
Frederick Valentich Disappearance
The pilot reported a large unknown aircraft with four bright lights hovering above him. 'It is not an aircraft,' he told Melbourne. Then: 'That strange aircraft is hovering on top of me again.' Metallic scraping sounds—then silence. He was never found.
1978
Bass Strait, Australia
0 Frederick Valentich vanished during a UFO encounter.
The Flight
October 21, 1978:
- Training flight
- Cessna 182
- Moorabbin to King Island
- Evening flight
- Clear weather
The Radio Contact
Melbourne Flight Service:
- Valentich: “Is there any known traffic?”
- ATC: “No known traffic”
- “Large unknown aircraft”
- “Four bright lights”
- “It is not an aircraft”
The Final Words
Last transmission:
- “Orbiting above me”
- “Has a long shape”
- “Coming for me right now”
- Metallic scraping sound
- 17 seconds
- Silence
The Search
Massive effort:
- No trace found
- No aircraft
- No body
- No debris
- Bass Strait searched
The UFO Reports
Other witnesses:
- Roy Manifold (photographer)
- Photo of strange object
- Same time, same area
- Others reported lights
- Over Bass Strait
The Mystery
Never explained:
- No debris ever found
- No engine malfunction
- UFO clearly described
- Recording exists
- Case officially unsolved