>> ON THE EVENING OF
AUGUST 21, 2004, RESIDENTS OF THE SMALL VILLAGE OF TINLEY
PARK, ILLINOIS CASUALLY GAZE UP TO THE SKIES AND SOON REALIZE
THEY'RE NOT ALONE. A MASS SIGHTING OF 3 STRANGE,
RED LIGHTS GRIPS THIS TINY SUBURB ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF
CHICAGO. >> THESE LIGHTS WERE OBSERVED BY
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. >> I SAW 3 RED LIGHTS.
>> THIS WAS DEFINITELY NOT AN AIRPLANE.
>> IT WAS UNLIKE ANYTHING I'D SEEN BEFORE OR AFTER.
>> THE SIGHTINGS SPIRAL OUT FROM TINLEY PARK TO TOWNS ALL ACROSS
THE CHICAGO SOUTHLAND. RESIDENTS ARE LEFT WITHOUT
AN EXPLANATION. >> THEY'RE UFOs, I SWEAR TO GOD.
THIS IS NO BULL[BLEEP]. >> AND THESE LIGHTS MAY BE PART
OF A WORLDWIDE VISITATION. WHAT IS INVADING THEIR SKIES?
NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WITNESSES ARE COMING FORWARD--
>> TINLEY PARK POLICE STATION WAS BEING INUNDATED WITH PHONE
CALLS. >> EVERYBODY WAS CALLING
THE COPS? >> WITH NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN
FOOTAGE OF THE TINLEY PARK LIGHTS.
>> THERE'S SOMETHING THERE, AND I CAN'T EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS.
>> I GOT IT ON TAPE! I GOT IT! >> THIS IS CASE NUMBER 97001--
INVASION: ILLINOIS. >> ♪ YEAH,
I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE, THE ONLY ONE ♪
>> RIGHT OUTSIDE OUR FRONT WINDOW WE WERE ABLE TO SEE IT--
3 RED LIGHTS IN THE SKY. >> AUGUST 21, 2004, TINLEY PARK,
ILLINOIS. IN THIS QUIET SUBURB JUST 30 MILES SOUTH OF CHICAGO,
MANY ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF WHAT THEY THINK WILL BE A NORMAL
SUMMER NIGHT. THEY'RE GATHERED AT BLOCK
PARTIES, AT BARBECUES, AND AT A LOCAL CONCERT BY ROCKER OZZY
OSBOURNE. THE MOOD IS FESTIVE AND
THE SKIES ARE CLEAR. BUT NOT FOR LONG.
>> I GOT IT ON TAPE! I GOT IT! >> THE FIRST OF OVER 50 REPORTS
BEGIN POURING INTO LOCAL AUTHORITIES JUST AFTER 7 P.M.
THERE'S SOMETHING STRANGE IN THE SKIES ABOVE TINLEY PARK--
3 BRIGHT RED-ORANGE LIGHTS THAT SEEM AT TIMES TO BE FLYING IN
A TRIANGULAR FORMATION AND SOMETIMES IN A STRAIGHT LINE.
ACTUAL VIDEO FROM THAT NIGHT SHOWS THE LIGHTS MOVING SILENTLY
AND SLOWLY FROM WEST TO EAST OVER THE TINLEY PARK AREA, OFTEN
VISIBLE FOR AS LONG AS 30 MINUTES.
BY 9 P.M., REPORTS OF THE STRANGE LIGHTS SPREAD LIKE
WILDFIRE OVER THE CHICAGO SUBURBS. TINLEY PARK, LAKE IN
THE HILLS, OAK FOREST, ORLAND PARK, MOKENA, MATTESON,
FRANKFORT. >> I SAW 3 RED LIGHTS IN
THE SKY. >> THEY WERE KIND OF HOVERING
AND CHANGING FORMATIONS FROM A TRIANGLE TO LIKE A 3 IN
A ROW--LIKE DOT DOT DOT. >> THIS THING JUST FLOATED
ACROSS THE SKY FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST.
>> HERE WE ARE AT THE FIRST MIDWEST BANK AMPHITHEATRE,
FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE TWEETER CENTER, THE SITE ON
AUGUST 21, 2004 OF OZZFEST. ON THAT NIGHT, PEOPLE LEAVING
THE AMPHITHEATRE AFTER THE CONCERT WAS OVER GOT CAUGHT
IN A TRAFFIC JAM. AND IN THE TRAFFIC JAM THEY'RE LOOKING
UP AND THEY SEE DAZZLING LIGHT FORMATIONS IN THE SKY.
>> NOW, I KNOW WHAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SAY. I MEAN, IT WAS
AN OZZFEST CONCERT, OF COURSE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SEE LIGHTS
IN THE SKY. >> THE TINLEY PARK CASE SHOULD
HAVE THE MAKINGS FOR A REALLY INTERESTING CASE. THERE'S A LOT
OF EVIDENCE. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WITNESS TESTIMONY SPREAD OVER
A WIDE GEOGRAPHIC AREA. AND THE CASE IS REALLY FRESH, IT'S
CURRENT. >> AND THE PEOPLE IN TINLEY PARK
WEREN'T ALONE. THIS ISN'T JUST A REGIONAL MASS SIGHTING.
THE TEAM BELIEVES THIS MAY BE A WORLDWIDE EVENT. A SIMILAR SET
OF LIGHTS IS CAPTURED ON TAPE 2 DAYS PRIOR IN BRITISH
COLUMBIA, CANADA, THEN IN MINNESOTA.
THE DAY AFTER THE TINLEY PARK SIGHTINGS, AUGUST 22, THE LIGHTS
APPEAR IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. AND THIS ACTUAL VIDEO APPEARS TO
SHOW OBJECTS HOVERING OVER MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA THE VERY
NEXT DAY. TRIANGLE-SHAPED ENCOUNTERS ARE
ON THE RISE, JOINING THE MORE TRADITIONAL CIGAR AND
SAUCER-SHAPED REPORTS. SIGHTINGS OF STRANGE
TRIANGLE-SHAPED CRAFTS SKYROCKETED IN THE EARLY 1980s.
THE MILITARY'S UNVEILING OF BOTH THE F-117 STEALTH FIGHTER AND
THE B-2 STEALTH BOMBER IN NOVEMBER 1988 HELPED EXPLAIN
A NUMBER OF THESE ACCOUNTS. STILL, MANY MYSTERIES REMAIN.
THE MYSTERIOUS BELGIUM UFO OF 1990, SEEN HERE, AND THE PHOENIX
LIGHTS TRIANGLE OF 1994 HAVE BECOME LANDMARK CASES. NOW IT'S
UP TO THE TEAM TO FIND OUT IF THE THE TINLEY PARK TRIANGLE IS
PART OF THIS GREATER PHENOMENON. OCTOBER 31, 2004, HALLOWEEN.
THE TRIANGLE RETURNS TO THE SKIES OVER TINLEY PARK.
>> THE RED LIGHTS ARE BACK. THEY'RE OVER ABOUT THE 80th
AVENUE TRAIN STATION. >> AND AGAIN ARE SEEN AND TAPED
BY LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE. >> HEY, DAD, SPEED UP AS CLOSE
AS YOU CAN GET ON THIS THING. >> THE DEBUNKERS TELL US THESE
ARE FLARES, THESE ARE FLARES ATTACHED TO BALLOONS THAT ARE
HOVERING IN THE AIR. >> COULD THESE LIGHTS, WITNESSED
BY HUNDREDS AND MAYBE THOUSANDS, BE SIMPLY A HOAX, OR SOMETHING
ELSE ENTIRELY? THE TINLEY PARK INVESTIGATION IS
UNDERWAY AS SEVERAL ANGLES ARE EXPLORED. PAT USKERT IS
COLLECTING VIDEO EVIDENCE FROM THE EYEWITNESSES AND ATTEMPTING
TO PINPOINT THE PRECISE LOCATIONS OF EACH SIGHTING.
>> AT THIS POINT WE REALLY NEED TO SEE A LOT MORE INFORMATION. I
NEED TO SEE MORE VIDEO, I NEED TO TALK TO MORE PEOPLE.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US.
>> FORMER NASA ANALYST DR. TED ACWORTH WILL USE PAT'S DATA AND
THE VIDEOS TO SCIENTIFICALLY CALCULATE THE SIZE AND SPEED OF
THIS OBJECT, AND WITH THIS INFORMATION, ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY
IT. >> ARE THESE 3 POINTS OF LIGHT
ALL FIXED TOGETHER AS PART OF ONE RIGID OBJECT? AND IF SO, HOW
BIG IS THIS THING? >> AND BILL BIRNES TESTS
AN ALLEGED HOAX TO SEE WHETHER THE LIGHTS ARE ACTUALLY FLARES
ATTACHED TO BALLOONS. >> WE MAY NOT KNOW WHAT THESE
LIGHTS WERE, BUT BY THE END OF THIS INVESTIGATION, WE'RE SURE
GONNA FIND OUT WHAT THESE LIGHTS WERE NOT.
>> WE'RE MEETING SAM MARANTO, DIRECTOR OF ILLINOIS MUFON. HE'S
OUR MAIN CONTACT HERE ON THE GROUND AT TINLEY PARK.
>> SAM WAS POINT MAN. IN COP SHOP TERMS, HE'S THE SQUEAL
MAN FOR THIS CASE. HE TAKES THE FIRST CALL.
>> WHEN EVERYONE SAW THE LIGHTS, THEY CONTACTED HIM. HE'S
ACTUALLY BEEN IN TOUCH WITH ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE FOOTAGE,
THE EYEWITNESSES, PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY SAW THIS THING IN
THE SKY, WHATEVER IT WAS. >> I THINK I PROBABLY
INTERVIEWED WELL IN EXCESS OF 100 PEOPLE.
>> ACCORDING TO SAM, THE TINLEY PARK EVENTS ARE AMONG THE BEST
DOCUMENTED UFO SIGHTINGS EVER. >> MANY PEOPLE HAVE SEEN UFOs.
RARELY DO THEY REPORT THEM. YOU RARELY EVEN GET SO MUCH AS
A PICTURE OUT OF MOST UFO CASES. >> APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 30 VIDEOS
EXIST, SHOT SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF TINLEY PARK
AND THE SURROUNDING SUBURBS. >> THERE ARE STILL MANY MORE
PEOPLE TO SEE AND TALK TO, MORE FOOTAGE TO RECOVER. AND I THINK
THIS CASE IS EVOLVING. >> THIS THING WAS SEEN BY
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. IT DID MAKE NEWSPAPERS, YOU KNOW,
NATIONALLY, IN ILLINOIS, AND EVEN AROUND THE WORLD.
>> SO PAT GOES RIGHT TO THE SOURCE--A CORRESPONDENT FROM
THE LOCAL PAPER,<i> THE SOUTHTOWN</i> <i>STAR.</i>
>> I'M MEETING WITH JASON FREEMAN. AS A JOURNALIST, HE'S
OBJECTIVE. HE DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO GAIN FROM THIS.
HE'S JUST INTERESTED IN GETTING AT THE TRUTH, VERY MUCH LIKE WE
ARE. >> YOU KNOW, I WAS AMAZED. BUT,
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN NEVER TAKE THE REPORTER OUT OF YOURSELF. SO
I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GET THE SCENE.
THOSE PEOPLE WHO HADN'T SEEN IT, YOU KNOW, ALREADY HAD THEIR
MINDS MADE UP THAT IT WAS WHAT THE MEDIA SAID IT WAS, FLARES OR
ALL THESE OTHER EXPLANATIONS. WHEREAS, I THINK THE PEOPLE THAT
SAW IT, AND MYSELF INCLUDED, WERE A LITTLE BIT MORE
OPEN-MINDED. >> JASON WRITES A COLUMN ABOUT
HIS OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. >> "I GOT OUT OF MY CAR AND
TRIED AS HARD AS I COULD TO GET A BETTER VIEW OF THE ANOMALIES.
WHAT EXACTLY WAS IT THAT I AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER TINLEY PARK
RESIDENTS SAW THAT NIGHT? I'M NOT SURE."
>> IN SPEAKING WITH A JOURNALIST, IT'S IMPORTANT TO
KEEP IN MIND THAT HE'S BEEN TRAINED TO JUST RECORD EVENTS AS
THEY OCCUR, AS UNBIASED AS POSSIBLE.
>> TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO ONE EVER OFFICIALLY EXPLAINED WHAT THEY
WERE, WHICH LEADS TO ME, YOU KNOW, SCRATCH MY HEAD EVEN MORE.
>> THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ADAMANTLY SAID THAT THESE WERE
NOT WEATHER BALLOONS OR FLARES. IN FACT, EVERY OTHER AGENCY SAID
THE SAME THING. THE FAA SAID THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY
DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS 'CAUSE IT DIDN'T REGISTER ON THEIR RADAR.
>> WITHIN 35 MILES OF TINLEY PARK ARE CHICAGO O'HARE AND
MIDWAY AIRPORTS. HOW COULD RADAR OPERATORS AT TWO OF THE NATION'S
BUSIEST AIRPORTS NOT PICKUP AN OBJECT SEEN BY SO MANY
WITNESSES? THE FAA HAS NO ANSWER, WHICH CAUSES THE TEAM TO
RULE OUT COMMERCIAL OR PRIVATE PLANES.
PERHAPS THE BEST EVIDENCE MAY LIE IN THE VIDEO.
>> THIS IS A UNIQUE SCENARIO BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH VERY
GOOD FOOTAGE. >> SAM HAS AT LEAST 15 DISTINCT
PIECES OF VIDEOTAPE THAT CAPTURE THE BIZARRE PHENOMENON.
>> THIS WAS THE AUGUST 21, 2004 SIGHTING, MASS SIGHTING. THIS
SEGMENT OF FOOTAGE IS FROM OAK FOREST.
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS. >> I WONDER HOW MANY MORE THERE
ARE GONNA BE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT WAS REALLY COOL WHEN IT WAS
THE THREE OF THEM. >> I DON'T KNOW. DO YOU REALLY
THINK WE SHOULD CALL AND REPORT THIS?
>> 3 MILES TO THE SOUTHWEST, IN TINLEY PARK PROPER, ANOTHER
WITNESS, T.J. JAPCON, SHOOTS THIS FOOTAGE OF THE LIGHTS.
>> ARE YOU RECORDING THIS? >> YEAH, NOW I AM.
>> WHILE HE'S SHOOTING FOOTAGE FURTHER SOUTHWEST, THEY'RE
SHOOTING FOOTAGE FROM THE NORTHEAST. SO THEY'RE
ACTUALLY SHOOTING THE SAME PHENOMENON SIMULTANEOUSLY.
>> SO THIS IS GREAT. THIS IS A TRIANGULATION ON ONE
PHENOMENON THAT BOTH CAMERAS PICK UP.
>> FROM EVERY ANGLE IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, EYEWITNESS VIDEO
CAPTURES THE LIGHTS IN THE SAME TRIANGULAR FORMATION.
>> THE VARIOUS LIGHTS ALMOST STAY RIGID WITH RESPECT TO EACH
OTHER AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE SKY. DO FLARES DO THE SAME
THING? >> I THINK IT WOULD BE PREMATURE
TO JUMP INTO THIS AND SAY WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME SORT OF HUGE
EXTRATERRESTRIAL PHENOMENON OR GIANT CRAFT OVER TINLEY PARK.
WHAT WE HAVE IS 3 POINTS OF LIGHT IN THE SKY, AND I'D LIKE
TO KEEP IT RIGHT THERE UNTIL I GET MORE INFORMATION.
>> SKEPTICS CLAIM THERE IS AN ORDINARY EXPLANATION FOR
THE TINLEY PARK SIGHTINGS, BUT THE MULTIPLE WITNESSES DON'T
AGREE. NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN FOOTAGE FROM THAT NIGHT MAY FINALLY
PROVIDE THE ANSWER. >> I KNEW IT WASN'T A PLANE OR
AIRCRAFT OF ANY KIND THAT I'VE EVER SEEN. THERE WAS NO NOISE.
SO WE WERE KIND OF AMAZED AND JUST STARTED TO THINK WHAT IT
COULD BE. AND I REALLY HAVE NO ANSWER FOR THAT.
>> THE TEAM IS IN TINLEY PARK, ILLINOIS, INVESTIGATING MULTIPLE
APPEARANCES OF AN ALLEGED TRIANGLE-SHAPED UFO.
HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, FROM LAWYERS AND DOCTORS
TO CONCERT GOERS, CLAIM TO HAVE SEEN 3 STRANGE REDDISH LIGHTS IN
THE SKY ON 2 SEPARATE NIGHTS IN 2004.
>> ONE WITNESS, 2 WITNESSES, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. WE NEED TO
GET AS MANY WITNESSES AS POSSIBLE, LOOK AT AS MUCH
EVIDENCE AS POSSIBLE, ANALYZE AS MANY VIDEOS AS POSSIBLE, AND
FROM THERE PUT A PICTURE TOGETHER.
>> PAT HEADS OUT TO MEET WITH T.J. JAPCON, AN EYEWITNESS WHO
WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE THE ALLEGED UFO ON VIDEO...
WHILE BILL MEETS WITH TED TO FIND OUT WHAT ELSE MIGHT BE
FLYING OVER TINLEY PARK. >> ONE QUESTION I ALWAYS HAVE
WHEN WE HAVE SIGHTINGS OF LIGHTS OVERHEAD AT NIGHT IS WHAT'S
GOING ON WITH COMMERCIAL AIRLINERS AND MAYBE EVEN
MILITARY AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS. IF WE CAN RULE OUT THOSE KINDS OF
AIRCRAFT, THAT LEAVES A LOT OF EVIDENCE ON THE TABLE THAT MIGHT
LEAD TO SOMETHING ANOMALOUS. >> SITUATED WITHIN 30 MILES OF
BOTH CHICAGO O'HARE AND MIDWAY AIRPORTS, THE SKIES ABOVE TINLEY
PARK ARE SOME OF THE MOST CONGESTED AIRSPACE IN THE UNITED
STATES. THE AIR IS FILLED WITH COMMERCIAL AND PRIVATE AIRCRAFT
THAT COULD BE MISTAKEN FOR SOMETHING EXTRATERRESTRIAL.
ACCORDING TO THE TEAM, THE STRANGE OBJECT MIGHT ALSO BE
A MISIDENTIFIED MILITARY CRAFT, BUT THEY FEEL THIS EXPLANATION
IS UNLIKELY. >> THERE IS A MILITARY OPERATION
AREA WAY TO THE NORTH HERE. IT'S ABOUT--IT'S ROUGHLY 100 MILES
AWAY. AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE WAY TO THE SOUTHEAST, ALSO
AROUND 100 MILES. SO I WOULDN'T SAY "A," THERE'S
NO MILITARY OPERATION AREA AND "B," YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET
THE MILITARY OPERATING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS MASSIVE
INTERNATIONAL, COMMERCIAL AIRSPACE WITHOUT CAUSING A LOT
OF TROUBLE. >> STILL, BILL TRIES TO GET SOME
KIND OF OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE MILITARY ON THE TINLEY
PARK PHENOMENON. HE CONTACTS THE GROUP COMMANDER, A SENIOR
MILITARY OFFICIAL AT NEARBY SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE.
>> YES, HI. I'M BILL BIRNES FROM <i>UFO HUNTERS</i> AND<i> UFO MAGAZINE.</i>
I'M CALLING IN REFERENCE TO THE AUGUST 21, 2004 LIGHTS OVER
TINLEY PARK. I'M CALLING TO FIND OUT WHAT TRAFFIC THE MILITARY
HAD THAT NIGHT. YOU HAVE NO INFORMATION ABOUT
THAT? I UNDERSTAND. I UNDERSTAND.
>> ACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL AIR FORCE RESPONSE RECEIVED BY<i> UFO
HUNTERS,</i> QUOTE, "WE DO NOT HAVE ANY DOCUMENTATION ON THIS AT
ALL. DUE TO THE HIGH TURNOVER OF MILITARY PERSONNEL THAT HAVE
LEFT SINCE 2004, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE THAT COULD POSSIBLY SPEAK
ON THIS." >> NOW WE'VE GOT TO GET TO
THE WITNESS LOCATIONS. WE HAVE TO INTERVIEW THE WITNESSES.
THE MORE VIDEOS WE HAVE AND THE MORE WITNESS STATEMENTS WE
CAN GET, THE MORE SCIENTIFIC DATA WE CAN GET OVER TO TED TO
ANALYZE ON THE WORKBENCH TO SEE WHAT WE REALLY HAVE IN FRONT OF
US. >> I SAW 3 RED LIGHTS THAT WERE
SLOWLY HANGING IN THE SKY. >> IT WAS THE MOST INCREDIBLE
THING I HAD EVER SEEN. >> I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE
IT BEFORE. I'VE NEVER SEE ANYTHING LIKE THOSE LIGHTS.
>> 10:45 P.M., AUGUST 21, 2004. T.J. JAPCON AND DAVE WAGNER ARE
AT A BLOCK PARTY WITH APPROXIMATELY 70 FRIENDS AND
NEIGHBORS. THEY HAVE NO IDEA THAT THEIR PARTY IS ABOUT TO
HAVE SOME UNINVITED GUESTS. >> COME ON, CAMERA.
MY SON HAD SEEN 3 LIGHTS COME UP RIGHT ABOVE THE TREES.
[DOG BARKING] >> ARE YOU ZOOMED IN ALL
THE WAY? >> YEAH, JAKE. LOOK AT THAT.
>> OK, LEAVE IT. >> IT'S MOVING FAST.
>> IT'S A UFO. >> SOMEONE WAS SAYING UFO. AND I
DID TURN AROUND FINALLY AND I SAW IT. I'M LIKE, "WHAT IN
THE WORLD ARE THESE THINGS?" WE'VE JUST NEVER SEEN ANYTHING
LIKE THAT BEFORE. >> EVERYBODY WAS JUST STARING AT
IT. IT HAD JUST FLOATED ACROSS THE SKY. 3 RED LIGHTS IN LIKE
A TRIANGLE. >> T.J. GETS HIS VIDEO CAMERA
AND MANAGES TO CAPTURE THE OBJECT ON TAPE FOR
AN INCREDIBLE 18 MINUTES. >> IT'S DEFINITELY NOT
A HELICOPTER. >> IT'S GOING TOO SLOW FOR
A HELICOPTER, TOO. >> IT'S GOING RIGHT OVER US.
>> AS THEY WATCH, THEY BELIEVE THE OBJECT IS MANEUVERING IN
WAYS BEYOND THE CAPACITY OF CONVENTIONAL AIRCRAFT.
>> IT TOOK ABOUT 15 OR 20 MINUTES TO MOVE FROM HERE TO
OVER THERE. >> THEN IT STAYED--IT STAYED
STATIONARY FOR A LITTLE WHILE, AND THEN IT CRAWLED AGAIN.
>> SO IT ACTUALLY STOPPED AT ONE POINT?
>> IT STOPPED, YEAH. >> SO IT MOVED ACROSS THE SKY,
STOPPED, AND THEN IT CONTINUED MOVING?
>> YEAH. >> YEP.
>> WOW. >> THE SLOW PACE AND STATIONARY
HOVERING OF THE OBJECT IS HIGHLY INCONSISTENT WITH TYPICAL
AIRCRAFT FLIGHT BEHAVIOR. AND THESE LOCALS KNOW IT.
WHEN A POLICE OFFICER STOPS BY THE BLOCK PARTY, HE IS BOMBARDED
WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OBJECT. >> WE HAD STOPPED HIM, AND WE
ASKED HIM WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND HE GOES, "RIGHT NOW, I CAN'T
TALK." HE HAS TO GET BACK TO THE STATION BECAUSE THE
STATION--TINLEY PARK POLICE STATION WAS BEING INUNDATED BY
PHONE CALLS. >> YEAH.
>> SO EVERYBODY WAS CALLING THE COPS?
>> EVERYONE WAS CALLING THE POLICE.
>><i> UFO HUNTERS</i> CONTACTED THE TINLEY PARK POLICE STATION
FOR A STATEMENT. THE OFFICER IN CHARGE HAD NO COMMENT ON
THE CASE. BUT THEIR OWN INCIDENT DISPATCH REPORT SHOWS THEY DID
RECEIVE CALLS OF RED LIGHTS IN THE SKY THAT NIGHT.
AFTER HALF AN HOUR, THE OBJECT SLOWLY DISAPPEARS INTO
THE NIGHT. BUT AROUND 11:30 P.M., T.J. AND
DAVE HAVE ANOTHER SIGHTING. A SINGLE RED POINT OF LIGHT THAT
FOLLOWS THE SAME PATH AS THE OBJECT SEEN EARLIER.
>> OH, COME ON. CURT! THEY'RE BACK!
UFOs ARE BACK. [BLEEP]. >> THIS TIME DAVE IS READY. HE
HAS A HIGH-POWERED TELESCOPE IN HAND.
>> I DIDN'T SEE ANY SIDES OR ANYTHING, BUT FROM THE NAKED
EYE, IT LOOKED LIKE ONE DOT IN THE SKY, BUT THROUGH
THE TELESCOPE IT LOOKED OVAL SHAPED WITH ABOUT 10 OR 12 RED
LIGHTS. >> PAT COLLECTS T.J.'S VIDEO AND
OTHER DATA FOR TED TO ANALYZE. HE USES A G.P.S. LOCATOR TO PLOT
THE PRECISE LOCATION OF THE SIGHTING. NEXT, A CLINOMETER
HELPS ESTABLISH HOW FAR OFF THE HORIZON THE ALLEGED UFO
APPEARED TO BE. FINALLY, COMPASS READINGS PINPOINT THE TRAJECTORY
OF THE UFO ACROSS THE SKY. >> DEFINITELY THE FOOTAGE THAT
T.J. JUST SHOWED ME IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE FOOTAGE I SAW
EARLIER WITH SAM. THESE ARE DEFINITELY VIDEOS OF
THE SAME EVENT, THE SAME LIGHTS OVER TINLEY PARK, WHATEVER THEY
WERE. >> WHAT WAS THIS OBJECT? WHAT
WAS ITS SIZE? AND HOW FAR AWAY WAS IT FROM THE WITNESSES? OR
WAS IT AN OBJECT AT ALL? IN ORDER TO COMPLETE
THE TRIANGULATION, TED WILL NEED DATA FROM ONE FINAL LOCATION.
WITH THIS INFORMATION, HE CAN ALSO START ESTIMATING THE SIZE
AND SPEED OF WHAT THESE PEOPLE WERE SEEING, AND PERHAPS EVEN
IDENTIFY IT. THAT SAME NIGHT, BOB PETERSON IS
WITH HIS CHILDREN IN HIS BACKYARD WHEN HE SEES THE SAME
TRIANGLE-SHAPED OBJECT. >> DAWSON, GO ASK MOM FOR
THE TELEPHONE. I WANT TO CALL SOMEBODY.
>> WHAT MADE YOU TAKE NOTICE OF THESE LIGHTS?
>> I JUST HAPPENED TO LOOK UP AND THERE WERE 3 RED LIGHTS IN
THE SKY. IT WAS DEFINITELY AN ODD THING TO SEE.
WE ARE KIND OF IN A FLIGHT PATTERN HERE. FROM MIDWAY
AIRPORT THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY AS FAR AS PLANES ARE
CONCERNED. SO AT FIRST I DID THINK THEY WERE HELICOPTERS, BUT
AS THEY GOT CLOSER, THEY WERE DEAD SILENT. THERE WAS JUST NO
NOISE COMING FROM THEM. SO AT THAT POINT, IT WASN'T
A HELICOPTER. >> HOW ABOUT AIRPLANES?
>> NO, IT'S WAY TOO SLOW. >> DESPITE HIS SIGHTING, BOB IS
NOT CONVINCED THAT HE HAS SEEN ANYTHING EXTRAORDINARY.
>> MY OPINION IS THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF HOAX PUT ON. I DON'T
KNOW WHAT IT WOULD BE. >> BILL DOOLEY, BOB'S FRIEND AND
NEIGHBOR, ALSO WITNESSES THE LIGHTS, BUT HIS REACTION IS
VERY DIFFERENT. >> WE ACTUALLY HAD
A HIGH-POWERED TELESCOPE BACK HERE AT THE TIME. AND ONE OF OUR
FRIENDS GOT RIGHT ON IT. HE SAID IT LOOKED JUST LIKE WE'RE SEEING
IT WITH OUR NAKED EYE. I THOUGHT IF IT WAS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW,
SOME KIND OF FLARE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT--YOU KNOW, WE THOUGHT
ABOUT THAT--THAT YOU WOULD SEE SOME KIND OF SMOKE, AND WE
DIDN'T. >> AGAIN, PAT TAKES THE CRUCIAL
LOCATION DATA FOR BOTH BOB AND BILL'S SIGHTINGS.
WITH 3 DISTINCT LOCATIONS, HIS DATA COMPILATION IS COMPLETE AND
READY TO SEND TO TED. BUT BEFORE TED COMES TO ANY KIND OF
CONCLUSION, THE TEAM HAS A CRITICAL EXPERIMENT TO PERFORM.
ONE THAT WILL PUT THEM DIRECTLY INTO THE EYE OF THE STORM.
>> WELL, IF IT WAS A HOAX, THEY DID A REALLY GOOD JOB, WHOEVER
CREATED THE HOAX. THAT'S ALL I COULD SAY.
>> SKEPTICS AND DEBUNKERS CLAIM THAT THE 3 BRIGHT RED LIGHTS
SEEN BY HUNDREDS OF WITNESSES IN THE SKIES ABOVE TINLEY PARK,
ILLINOIS, ARE NOTHING MORE THAN FLARES ATTACHED TO WEATHER
BALLOONS. BUT THOSE WHO ACTUALLY SAW THE LIGHTS WITH THEIR OWN
EYES HOLD A DIFFERENT OPINION. >> MY SON AND I WERE ON
THE PHONE TOGETHER WATCHING THE UFO.
>> PLANE'S LIGHTS NORMALLY FLASH, BUT THESE LIGHTS DIDN'T
FLASH. >> IT WAS EXCITING, AND IT WAS
DISTURBING. >> DR. TED ACWORTH HAS WORKED
FOR NASA'S FLYING IMAGING AIRCRAFT PROGRAM. HE IS JOINED
BY TERRENCE MASSON, AN IMAGE PROCESSING EXPERT FROM
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY. THEY BEGIN BY ANALYZING FOOTAGE
SHOT BY T.J. JAPCON ON AUGUST 21, 2004.
TED FEELS IT HAS THE HIGHEST IMAGE QUALITY OF THE NEARLY
30 PIECES OF VIDEO<i> UFO HUNTERS</i> HAVE COLLECTED.
>> MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS IT WAS GONNA BE NECESSARY TO STABILIZE,
BECAUSE THESE ARE SHOT BY NORMAL PEOPLE, BACKGROUND, HANDHELDS.
SO WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THIS KIND OF SWIMMING MOTION. THAT'S
PRETTY TYPICAL. ONCE WE'VE DONE THAT, I WAS THEN
ABLE TO PICK ONE OF THE 3 LIGHTS AND TRANSLATIONALLY PIN THAT SO
THAT ALL THE RELATED MOTION IS BASICALLY LOCKED AROUND THAT
POINT. >> HAVING STABILIZED ONE POINT
OF THE THREE, TED AND TERRENCE ARE ABLE TO SEE HOW THE OTHER
2 POINTS MOVE AROUND IT. ARE THEY FREE FLOATING OR LOCKED IN
PLACE? >> TO ME, AND THE NUMBERS BEAR
IT OUT, THAT IT DOES LOOK LIKE THE OTHER 2 TRAILING POINTS
ARE LOCKED TO THAT THIRD NODAL POINT IN ROTATING. SO EITHER
THEY'RE FIXED TO THE SAME PHYSICAL STRUCTURE, YOU KNOW,
A TRIANGULAR CRAFT, OR IF IT'S MANMADE, THEY HAVE TO BE SOME
KIND OF I-BEAMS, SOME KIND OF PHYSICAL CONNECTION.
>> IF THE LIGHTS ARE ALL CONNECTED, WHY DO THEY SOMETIMES
APPEAR AS A TRIANGLE AND OTHER TIMES APPEARS AS A STRAIGHT
LINE? IS THE OBJECT SHAPE-SHIFTING?
TED AND TERRENCE'S ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
THE MOST LIKELY ANSWER IS AS THE ATTACHED LIGHTS MOVE IN
THE SKY, THE ONLY THING THAT SHIFTS IS THE VIEWER'S
PERSPECTIVE. >> TO MY EYE, IT APPEARED THAT
THOSE 3 LIGHTS SEEMED TO BE LOCKED TOGETHER GEOMETRICALLY,
AND HIS ANALYSIS AGREED WITH THAT. WE NOW QUANTITATIVELY KNOW
THAT THOSE 3 POINTS OF LIGHT ARE LOCKED IN SPACE TOGETHER.
>> TED AND TERRENCE STILL CANNOT DETERMINE WHETHER THERE IS
A SOLID TRIANGULAR CRAFT WITH A LIGHT ON EACH POINT OR
3 INDIVIDUAL LIGHTS THAT ARE SOMEHOW ABLE TO ROTATE TOGETHER.
ONE SEGMENT OF T.J.'S FOOTAGE FROM OCTOBER 31, 2004 SHOWS
A CONVENTIONAL AIRCRAFT, A HELICOPTER, FLYING NEAR
THE TRIANGLE SHAPE. THE TEAM CONTACTED ALL LOCAL
AIRPORTS, THE FAA, PILOTS OF AMERICA, AND NUMEROUS OTHER
AVIATION ORGANIZATIONS IN HOPES OF FINDING THE PILOT. ONE PILOT
RESPONDED, SAYING HE HAD BEEN IN THE AIR AND SAW SOMETHING
STRANGE THAT NIGHT. WHEN ASKED FOR AN INTERVIEW, HE REFUSED,
CLAIMING HE FEARED FOR HIS JOB. >> I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN GET
A SENSE OF THE OVERALL SIZE. IS THIS THING 10 FEET ACROSS OR
A QUARTER MILE ACROSS? WE COULD TAKE THE HEIGHT OF THAT
HELICOPTER IMAGE IN THIS FRAME AND COMPARE THAT TO THE HEIGHT
OF THE LIGHTS AND CALCULATE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THOSE
2 LIGHTS. >> OK, SPATIALLY JUST IN
THE IMAGERY ITSELF, IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT 30 TIMES THE
LINEAR WIDTH OF THE HELICOPTER, RIGHT?
>> YEAH. THAT'S GETTING UP TO 1,000 FEET PLUS.
>> 1,000 FEET AS OPPOSED TO THE WIDTH OF THE HELICOPTER.
>> SO BASED ON THIS METHOD, I THINK WE'RE IN THE BALLPARK, YOU
KNOW, OF 1,000 PLUS FEET IN SEPARATION BETWEEN THESE
3 LIGHTS. >> WITH THEIR ESTIMATE OF 1,000
FEET BETWEEN THE POINTS OF LIGHT, TED AND TERRENCE PLUG IN
THE LOCATION DATA THAT PAT HAS GATHERED FROM THE EYEWITNESSES.
THE G.P.S. LOCATOR PINPOINTS EACH SIGHTING ON THE MAP.
THE CLINOMETER READING REVEALS THE ANGLE OF ELEVATION, OR HOW
HIGH OFF THE HORIZON THE LIGHTS APPEAR TO BE.
COMPASS READINGS INDICATE IN WHICH DIRECTION THE ALLEGED UFO
IS TRAVELING. WITHOUT THIS ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION, NO TRUE ESTIMATE OF THE SIZE OF THE OBJECT CAN BE
MADE. BASED ON THE CLINOMETER AND
COMPASS READINGS, THE WITNESSES ALL APPEAR TO HAVE SEEN THE SAME
OBJECT TO THE WEST AND LOW TO THE HORIZON BETWEEN 5 AND 10
DEGREES. >> AND WE KNOW FROM THE FOOTAGE
HERE FROM T.J., WHICH IS TAKEN FROM HERE LOOKING IN THAT
DIRECTION AT ROUGHLY A 10-DEGREE ELEVATION, THAT OUR OBJECT IS
APPROXIMATELY THAT DISTANCE AWAY FROM T.J.
>> RIGHT. AND WE FIGURE THAT WAS ABOUT 2.5 MILES.
>> IF THE UNKNOWN OBJECT IS 2.5 MILES AWAY, AT AN AVERAGE OF
7 DEGREES OFF THE HORIZON, AND WITH 1,000 FEET BETWEEN EACH
POINT OF LIGHT, THEN THEY CAN ESTIMATE ITS TOTAL SIZE.
>> I THINK 1,500 IS A PRETTY GOOD ESTIMATE, PLUS OR MINUS
A COUPLE FEW HUNDRED FEET. >> IT'S DEFINITELY NOT
THE DISTANCE FROM WINGTIP TO WINGTIP OF ANYTHING THAT--
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT. AND I DON'T KNOW ANY STRUCTURE THAT YOU
COULD FLY THAT WOULD--THAT COULD HOLD LIGHTS 1,500 FEET APART.
>> TO THE BEST OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE, THE ALLEGED UFO OVER
TINLEY PARK IS ONE OBJECT, SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET IN
THE AIR, AND ABOUT 1,500 FEET FROM END TO END.
>> TO PUT THAT INTO REFERENCE OF SOMETHING WE MIGHT KNOW, THINK
OF A 747 OR A NEWER A-380 AIRCRAFT, THOSE ARE ABOUT 200,
250 FEET IN WINGSPAN. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO STACK UP ABOUT
6 OF THESE TO GET THE SPAN THAT WE'RE SEEING FROM OUR EVIDENCE
IN THIS CASE. AND THAT'S JUST BEYOND--THAT'S LIKE 6X
THE LARGEST AIRCRAFT THAT WE HAVE.
>> BASED ON ALL OF THIS EVIDENCE--THE VIDEO, THE SPATIAL
RECREATION, THE ESTIMATION OF MOTION, THE IMAGE PROCESSING, I
DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. THERE'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING OUT THERE
OF THIS 1,500 FEET SPAN, BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT MIGHT BE.
>> THIS COULD BE AN ELABORATE HOAX.
>> PEOPLE SAY THAT THERE WERE RED FLARES IN THE SKY.
>> I DON'T THINK THAT IT WAS SOME TYPE OF A SPACECRAFT. THERE
JUST WASN'T ANY EVIDENCE TO ME THAT IT WAS ANYTHING OTHER THAN
3 LIGHTS THAT WERE NOT CONNECTED.
>> ALTHOUGH THERE'S NEVER BEEN AN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION FOR
THE LIGHTS OVER TINLEY PARK, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO
BELIEVE THAT THESE WERE NOTHING MORE THAN FLARES TIED TO
BALLOONS. AND IT'S AN INTERESTING THEORY, ONE THAT
WE HAVE TO TEST. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY. WE'RE
ACTUALLY GOING TO SET SOME BALLOONS WITH FLARES OFF AND SEE
IF THEY LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THE TINLEY PARK FOOTAGE FROM
2004. >> CLEARED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES,
THE TESTS WILL ALLOW THE TEAM TO COMPARE THE COLOR INTENSITY OF
THE FLARES, AS WELL AS THE WAY THE BALLOONS AND FLARES MOVE IN
THE NIGHT SKY, WITH THE ORIGINAL FOOTAGE OF THE LIGHTS OVER
TINLEY PARK. BUT TED'S ANALYSIS PROVED
THE LIGHTS WERE CONNECTED BY SOMETHING SOLID, SO IF THIS WAS
A HOAX, IT WAS RATHER ELABORATE. >> WE SUSPECT THAT THERE'S
A FRAME BETWEEN THE LIGHTS, AN OBJECT BETWEEN THE LIGHTS
THAT YOU CAN'T SEE IN THE DARKNESS. SO WHAT WE'RE
DOING TO TEST THIS OUT IS WE'RE BUILDING TRIANGLES OUT OF
THE PVC PIPE AND ATTACHING FLARES TO THE END OF THOSE
CORNERS. SO IN EFFECT, WE'RE MAKING OUR OWN FLYING
TRIANGLES OUT OF FLARES AND BALLOONS. LET'S SEE WHAT THEY
LOOK LIKE COMPARED TO THE FOOTAGE WE HAVE.
>> AS THE TEAM UNLOADS THEIR EQUIPMENT, THE WEATHER BEGINS TO
TAKE A TURN FOR THE WORSE. MUCH WORSE.
[THUNDER] >> LOOKING AT MAJOR LIGHTENING
RIGHT NOW, BIG STORM COMING THIS WAY. WE HAVE TO SHUT THIS THING
DOWN, GET INSIDE, GET SOME SHELTER.
>> BILL AND PAT MANAGE TO GET THE MATERIALS FOR THE EXPERIMENT
INSIDE, BUT THE DANGER IS FAR FROM OVER.
>> THEY DON'T CALL THIS TORNADO ALLEY BY ACCIDENT.
[THUNDER] >> I GREW UP IN CALIFORNIA, WE
JUST DON'T HAVE THIS. I'VE, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN LIGHTENING
BEFORE, I'VE HEARD A LITTLE BIT OF THUNDER. THIS IS--WHAT CAN I
SAY BUT WELCOME TO ILLINOIS. >> AS YOU CAN HEAR, WE'VE GOT
A LOT OF BAD WEATHER COMING IN. >> THE TEAM IS IN RURAL ILLINOIS
IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT SUPERVISED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES.
[THUNDER] IN SPITE OF THE WEATHER,
THE TEAM SOLDIERS ON, BUILDING THE PVC FRAME. 3 WEATHER
BALLOONS, 5 FEET IN DIAMETER, ARE FILLED WITH HELIUM GAS AND
ATTACHED TO THE FRAME. BUT IT SOON BECOMES APPARENT
THAT THE FRAME IS TOO HEAVY FOR THE BALLOONS TO LIFT.
>> THE LARGER WE GOT, THE HEAVIER THE FRAME GOT, AND
THE MORE IMPOSSIBLE IT WAS FOR THE BALLOONS TO LIFT THIS THING.
SO IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IF THEY'RE DESCRIBING A GIANT TRIANGLE,
THERE'S JUST NO WAY THESE BALLOONS COULD LIFT THIS THING.
IT WOULD TAKE POSSIBLY HUNDREDS OR EVEN THOUSANDS OF BALLOONS TO
LIFT A STRUCTURE THAT LARGE. >> THEY KNOW FROM TED'S ANALYSIS
THE OBJECT IS MASSIVE AND THE LIGHTS ARE CONNECTED. IT'S
UNCLEAR HOW SUCH A HOAX COULD BE POSSIBLE. STILL, THE TEAM WORKS
TO GET THE BALLOONS AIRBORNE AND IN FORMATION IN ORDER TO COMPARE
THE FLARES TO THE STRANGE LIGHTS ON THE VIDEOS.
>> I THINK THE LIGHTENING HAS PASSED. WE MAY HAVE A WINDOW TO
LAUNCH. >> SAM MARANTO AND SEVERAL
EYEWITNESSES FROM 2004--BILL DOOLEY AND HIS SON NICK AND BOB
PETERSON AND HIS SON TYLER--ARRIVE FOR THE TEST.
>> SINCE THEY SAW THE LIGHTS WITH A NAKED EYE ORIGINALLY,
THEY'RE THE BEST WITNESSES TO TELL US, "HEY, THIS LOOKS
LIKE THE LIGHTS WE SAW. THIS DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THE LIGHTS WE
SAW." >> FOR TEST PURPOSES, THEY'VE
ALSO BROUGHT THE SAME CAMERAS THEY FILMED THE TINLEY PARK
LIGHTS WITH IN AUGUST OF 2004. >> SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS
MAYBE USE THEIR CAMERAS TO TAKE FOOTAGE OF THE BALLOONS THAT WE
LAUNCH AND COMPARE THEM TO THEIR FOOTAGE FROM 2004. LET'S SEE HOW
IT MATCHES UP. >> THE 3 BALLOONS ARE ATTACHED
ON A LINE AT 15 FOOT INTERVALS. A FLARE IS THEN SUSPENDED FROM
EACH BALLOON. >> GENTLEMEN, LIGHT YOUR FLARES.
YOU GO AHEAD AND LAUNCH. BALLOON 2. GO AHEAD, DAVE.
>> WHILE SAM AND THE TEAM HAVE ONLY SEEN THE VIDEO EVIDENCE OF
THE TINLEY PARK LIGHTS, BOB, BILL, AND THEIR SONS ARE
EYEWITNESSES. THEY KNOW FIRSTHAND WHAT THE OBJECT LOOKED
LIKE IN 2004, THE QUALITY OF THE COLORS, THE WAY IT HELD ITS
TRIANGULAR FORM, AND HOW IT MOVED ACROSS THE NIGHT SKY.
>> NOW WHAT WE SAW IN THE SUMMER OF 2004 WAS MUCH STEADIER FLOW
OF LIGHT, NOT JERKING AROUND LIKE THEY DID. THE COLOR WAS
BRIGHT RED LIKE YOU'D SEE A LIGHT ON TOP OF A CELL TOWER.
THIS WAS MORE ORANGE, MORE PINK. SO NO, NOTHING LIKE IT.
>> BOB PETERSON'S INITIAL IMPRESSION IS THAT THE 2004
LIGHTS ARE A HOAX, BUT THIS DEMONSTRATION HAS GIVEN HIM
A NEW PERSPECTIVE. >> BASED ON WHAT I SAW TONIGHT,
NO, I DON'T THINK IT WAS A FLAIR. THERE WAS JUST TOO MUCH
THAT WAS DIFFERENT ABOUT IT. >> HE THOUGHT THEY WERE FLARES,
BUT NOW HE'S LOOKING AT FLARES, AND HE SAYS THEY DID NOT BEHAVE
THE WAY THE LIGHTS BEHAVED WHEN HE FIRST SAW THEM ON AUGUST 21
AND OCTOBER 31. >> A FINAL MEETING WITH SAM
MARANTO REVEALS THAT THE NIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL SIGHTING,
AUGUST 21, 2004, MAY BE PART OF A WORLDWIDE UFO FLAP.
AND TINLEY PARK'S HISTORY OF UFO SIGHTINGS DIDN'T BEGIN IN 2004.
>> AS YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY FOUND OUT AND HAVE SOME INDICATION,
THIS AREA'S BEEN A HOTBED FOR ACTIVITY. PROJECT BLUE BOOK,
THE AIR FORCE'S ACTUAL INVESTIGATION INTO UFO
PHENOMENA, ACTUALLY HAD ONE OF THEIR CASES HERE IN TINLEY PARK.
>> WHAT WAS THE CASE? >> THE CASE WAS 2 YOUNG MEN
SEEING AN UNUSUAL OBJECT. THEY REPORTED IT AND IT WAS
INVESTIGATED AND STILL REMAINS UNKNOWN. AND THAT WAS IN
THE EARLY SIXTIES. >> WAS THERE ANY OTHER ACTIVITY
AROUND THE CASE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH NOW?
>> I'LL TELL YOU ONE THING, PAT, WE HAD AUGUST A HOT MONTH.
OBJECTS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS SEEN OUT HERE WAS SEEN ON
THE 18th IN CANADA. ON THE 19th, WE HAVE THAT OBJECT OVER
MINNEAPOLIS-ST.PAUL, HOVERING THERE FOR A PERIOD OF ALMOST
9 HOURS. THEN HERE WE GO, THE 21st,
TINLEY PARK. AFTER THAT, HOUSTON, TEXAS. A FEW HOURS
LATER INTO THE 23rd, WHAT DO WE HAVE IN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA?
SAME THING AGAIN. >> IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THESE
WERE ALL SIGHTINGS OF THE SAME OBJECT?
>> WHAT WAS THE DATE OF THE AUSTRALIA SIGHTING?
>> THE AUSTRALIA SIGHTING WAS ON THE 23rd, BUT REMEMBER, THEIR
DATELINE IS AHEAD OF US BY 16 HOURS.
>> WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF THESE LIGHTS POPPING UP HERE AND THEN
IN AUSTRALIA A COUPLE DAYS LATER?
>> THE VERY NEXT DAY. >> SAM MARANTO HAS UNCOVERED
VIDEO FROM AUSTRALIA THAT APPEARS TO SHOW TWO OF
THE TINLEY PARK-TYPE OBJECTS, SEEN HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
>> OH, NO, MY BATTERY'S RUNNING OUT.
>> OH, [BLEEP]. >> ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2005,
THE SAME CONFIGURATION OF LIGHTS RETURNS TO TINLEY PARK, AND
AGAIN IS WIDELY SEEN AND TAPED BY THE RESIDENTS. THE OBJECT
APPEARS TO BE THE SAME ONE SEEN IN 2004. AND YET ANOTHER
SIGHTING OCCURS BARELY A MONTH LATER ON OCTOBER 31, HALLOWEEN,
2005. WITH ALL OF THE EVIDENCE
GATHERED FOR THIS CASE, THE TEAM WAITS FOR TED TO WEIGH-IN ON
THE EXPERIMENT. HOW WILL THE NEW FOOTAGE STAND UP TO THE ORIGINAL
2004 VIDEO OF THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS OVER TINLEY PARK?
>> WHEN I SAW THOSE 3 LIGHTS IN THE FOOTAGE, NOTHING CAME TO
MIND INSTANTLY THAT, HEY, OH, YEAH, IT'S A COMMERCIAL
AIRLINER, THAT'S A HELICOPTER. I'M VERY INTRIGUED THERE'S
SOMETHING UNUSUAL THERE, AND I HOPE TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT.
>> NOW, WITH FOOTAGE IN HAND, TED AND TERRENCE ARE PREPARING
TO SCRUTINIZE SEVERAL ASPECTS OF BILL AND PAT'S EXPERIMENT.
>> EVEN WITH AN ABSOLUTELY PERFECTLY STILL, CALM
ATMOSPHERE, YOU'RE STILL GOING TO GET THIS KIND OF UNRELATED
RANDOM MOTION AT THESE 3 POINTS. OF COURSE, IN THIS CASE WAS
THERE WAS ACTUAL--SOME KIND OF WIND, AND THEY'RE JUST ALL OVER
THE PLACE. >> AS BILL AND PAT NOTED IN
THE FIELD, THEIR BALLOONS BEHAVED ERRATICALLY IN THE WIND,
IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE 2004 FOOTAGE.
ACCORDING TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DATA, ON THE NIGHT OF
THE EXPERIMENT, WINDS ARE CLOCKED AT 12 MILES PER HOUR. IN
2004, THE WINDS ARE MORE THAN TWICE AS STRONG, AT 30 MILES PER
HOUR. YET THE LIGHTS DO NOT EXHIBIT THE SAME ERRATIC
BEHAVIOR AS THE FLARES AND BALLOONS.
>> I MEAN, I COULD IMAGINE A TETHER, LIKE A NYLON FILAMENT
TETHER, BUT THAT WOULD ONLY LIMIT THE DISTANCE THIS WAY, BUT
NOT THIS WAY. AND WE'RE SEEING THAT THEY'RE NOT KIND OF
BOUNCING IN TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER AND HITTING OUTER LIMITS.
THEY'RE LOCKED. >> WHAT THIS SEEMS TO
REINFORCE TO THE TEAM IS THAT THE 2004 LIGHTS MUST BE LOCKED
IN PLACE VIA SOME FORM OF RIGID STRUCTURE. WITHOUT THIS,
THE LIGHTS SHOULD EXHIBIT THE SAME VOLATILE BEHAVIOR AS
THE EXPERIMENT VIDEO. >> THE LONGER IT HOLDS THAT
CONFIGURATION, THE STRONGER AND STRONGER THE CASE THAT THEY ARE
ACTUALLY LOCKED. THAT'S A PRETTY IMPORTANT
CONCLUSION. >> I THINK SO. IT'S
DEFINITELY NOT 3 INDEPENDENT FLOATING FLARES.
>> BUT DOES THIS PROVE THAT THE WITNESSES IN TINLEY PARK AND
OTHER LOCATIONS AROUND THE WORLD PHOTOGRAPHED A FLYING CRAFT?
TED AND TERRENCE ALSO WANT TO CONTRAST THE COLOR AND LIGHT
QUALITY OF THE FLARES IN COMPARISON TO THE ORIGINAL
FOOTAGE. >> UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S VERY HARD
TO TELL WITH THESE CONSUMER-GRADE CAMERAS.
THE EXPOSURE SETTINGS AND THE SENSITIVITY IS SUCH THAT YOU
CAN SHOOT DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT COLORED LIGHTS AND VERY OFTEN
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THEM BASICALLY BLOOM TO ALMOST SOLID
WHITE. THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE THAT'S PRETTY CLEAR TO ME IS
THE INTENSITY DIFFERENCES. THE FLICKERING, BASICALLY, FOR
LACK OF A BETTER WORD, IS VERY EVIDENT IN THE FLARES.
>> TED AND TERRENCE ALSO LOOK FOR SCINTILLATION, ANY
FLUCTUATION IN THE QUALITY OF THE LIGHT. A CONSTANT LIGHT
SOURCE WILL HAVE LESS SCINTILLATION THAN A LESS
STABILE SOURCE, LIKE THE FLARES. >> TO ME, IT'S ACTUALLY
AN ILLUMINATED SOURCE. IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT IT'S SOME KIND OF
LIGHT, AS OPPOSED TO SOME KIND OF BURNING--
>> WHICH WILL HAVE ITS OWN VARIABILITY.
>> RIGHT. >> BUT TERRENCE BRINGS UP
ANOTHER INTRIGUING POINT OF COMPARISON. THE EXPERIMENT
CLEARLY SHOWS THE FLARES DROPPING RESIDUE. BUT IN
THE ORIGINAL VIDEO FROM 2004, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY
RESIDUE. >> I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY
THAT OUR EXPERIMENT AND OUR ANALYSIS OF THE EVIDENCE LEAVES
US WITH A VERY CREDIBLE EXPLANATION THIS WAS FLARES
FLOATING ON BALLOONS. BUT I CAN'T SAY THAT. I THINK IT'S
EXTREMELY UNLIKELY THAT THAT IS THE EXPLANATION FOR WHAT WE HAVE
HERE. >> I COULD SAY DEFINITIVELY THAT
THERE'S NO WAY THAT I CAN SEE ANY KIND OF TETHERED BALLOON,
LIGHT SOURCE, FLARE OR OTHERWISE, WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE FOOTAGE THAT WE HAVE. WITHOUT SAYING IT'S AN ALIEN
SPACECRAFT, I CAN DEFINITIVELY SAY BY THE STRICTEST DEFINITION,
IT IS AN UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT.
>> THE TINLEY PARK CASE IS A REALLY INTERESTING CASE TO ME.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DATA. WE HAVE A LOT OF WITNESS TESTIMONY. WE
WERE ABLE TO DO SOME EXTREMELY QUANTITATIVE SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS
OF OUR EVIDENCE. TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, I CAN'T PUT MY
FINGER ON AN EXPLANATION TO SAY, OH, IT WAS SOMETHING
TERRESTRIAL. ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT I CAN'T EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS.
AND YET IT IS A HIGHLY CREDIBLE, CORROBORATED CASE. SO THERE'S
SOMETHING THERE, AND I CAN'T EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS. AND THAT IS
VERY INTRIGUING TO ME. >> I BELIEVE WE HAVE A GENUINE,
ANOMALOUS, AERIAL EVENT THAT OCCURRED OVER TINLEY PARK IN
2004. SOME PEOPLE SAY IT WAS A HOAX, BUT WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE
THAT IT WAS A HOAX. NOW, I KNOW IN OTHER UFO CASES, PILOTS, BOTH
MILITARY AND CIVILIAN, HAVE COME ACROSS THESE ORBS OF LIGHT AND
THAT COULD BE WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE. SO IN MY OPINION,
THIS CASE IS STILL OPEN. >> YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF, ARE
THESE PEOPLE SEEING THE SAME OBJECT IN THE SKY? IS THIS
A WORLDWIDE UFO PHENOMENON, OR IS THIS A WORLDWIDE UFO HOAX?
>> BOTH SCIENTIFIC AND SUBJECTIVE TESTIMONY SUGGESTS
THAT THE OBJECT WAS NOT FLARES ATTACHED TO WEATHER BALLOONS.
VIDEO ANALYSIS REVEALS SOMETHING OF MASSIVE SIZE. DOES THE TINLEY
PARK MASS SIGHTING AND THE MOUNTAIN OF VISUAL EVIDENCE
AROUND IT PROVIDE A GLIMPSE OF AN ACTUAL UFO?
OR ARE THE ANSWERS STILL FLOATING SOMEWHERE IN THE SKIES
ABOVE TINLEY PARK?
