Betty and Barney Hill
Driving home to Portsmouth from Montreal, the Hills saw a light moving near the Moon south of Lancaster. It followed them through Franconia Notch, passing near the Cannon Mountain tramway. South of Indian Head it came down to about 100 ft over the road, and Barney saw figures at the windows through binoculars. They reached home around dawn, about two hours later than expected. Under hypnosis in 1964 both described being taken aboard, in the first widely publicised "alien abduction".
Explanation
The Air Force file notes that Jupiter was low in the south-west and would have set about when the object disappeared, and that there was a strong temperature inversion. The abduction story emerged only under hypnosis in 1964. The psychiatrist, Dr. Benjamin Simon, believed it was a fantasy that grew out of Betty's dreams.
What was seen
Shape: Pancake-shaped craft with windows and lights
Witnesses: 2 (Betty and Barney Hill)
Duration: Sighting ~1 hour; about 2 hours unaccounted for
Browse
- United States
- 1960s
- Disputed
- Close encounters
- Official government documents
- Many independent witnesses
- Lights and fireballs
- Discs and saucers