1978-02-01 - Detroit, MI

Detroit UFO Flap of February 1978

This report is of a historical nature. I want to emphasize that I did not witness a UFO during the time period described. Back in 1978, when I was in high school, I vividly recall a major UFO Flap that occurred in February and March of that year. My friends and I were very excited by it because almost every day there were reports on the local news and radio about another UFO sighting. Some of them were quite spectacular. However, this major UFO flap seems to have been forgotten in the UFO literature, so I did some research at a local university library of The Detroit News from that time period.

I was disappointed that only one article was written during that time. The article has been sent electronically via email. It discusses some of the UFO sightings, but not all of them. The one I remember most distinctly occurred during afternoon rush hour. The local television news reported that many witnesses reported a low flying UFO buzzed down the I-96 expressway in Brighton, over hundreds of cars. Apparently, many people got out of their cars to get a better look. This occurred a week or two before the report about the UFO following the park rangers, which is in the article.

I asked a coworker if they remembered the flap. He said that he did. Surprisingly, he went on to explain that his father was a narcotics detective for the Detroit Police Force and that one of his father’s friends flew the police helicopter. During the time period in question, the Detroit Police helicopter pilot stated that a UFO followed his helicopter. He tried to lose it but could not. I wonder how many other incidents like this may have occurred that were never reported.

I will continue to inquire regarding this interesting time period. Perhaps other readers of your website remember this flap also and can add further details or historic sources.


((NUFORC Note: Witness indicates that the date of the sighting is approximate. PD))