>> Narrator: IT BEGAN IN DECEMBER 2007. THERE WERE TWO REPORTS OF U.F.O.s OVER TEXAS. >> I AM SCARED. >> THE GIRLS WERE SCREAMING. SOME OF THEM WERE CRYING. >> Narrator: WITHIN A MONTH, THE NUMBER GREW TO OVER 200 SIGHTINGS AS THE SWARM BEGAN TO MOVE SOUTH. >> ALMOST LIKE A FLOCK OF BIRDS. I HOPE IT'S NOT. >> Narrator: THIS NEVER BEFORE SEEN VIDEO MAY CONTAIN PROOF OF A U.F.O. INFESTATION PLAGUING THIS SMALL TOWN. >> PROBABLY THE END OF OUR CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT. >> Narrator: FROM POLICE OFFICERS' TESTIMONIES... >> IT APPEARS TO BE SPINNING. >> Narrator: ...TO VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME... >> I CAN'T EXPLAIN THAT. >> Narrator: ...AND STARTLING EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS, THE TEAM INVESTIGATES THE MOST RECENT AND BIGGEST U.F.O. SIGHTING IN AMERICAN HISTORY. ARE THE RESIDENTS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A MILITARY COVER-UP? >> I COULDN'T ANSWER ANYTHING ON THAT. >> Narrator: OR ARE THEY WITNESSING SOMETHING MUCH MORE UNFATHOMABLE? >> WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? >> Narrator: THIS IS CASE NUMBER 08199: "INVASION: TEXAS 2008." >> I'VE SEEN THEM. <font color="#FFFF00">Captioning sponsored by</font> <font color="#FFFF00">A&E TELEVISION NETWORKS</font> >> Narrator: STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS, IS A QUIET, SMALL TOWN, HOME TO ONLY 16,000 PEOPLE LOCATED ABOUT 70 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FORT WORTH. IT'S KNOWN FOR BEING A LEADER IN DAIRY FARMING AND AS THE SELF PROCLAIMED COWBOY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. BUT ON JANUARY 10, 2008, IT MADE NEWSPAPER HEADLINES ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR ITS MASS U.F.O. SIGHTING WHICH CONTINUED FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS. >> TWO LARGE, GLOWING RED OBJECTS. >> IT WERE NOT MAKING NO SOUND. IT WAS SILENT. >> I COUNTED PROBABLY, MAYBE TEN, 12, 14 LIGHTS. >> Narrator: A MEDIA FRENZY BEGINS. DOZENS OF PEOPLE STARTLED BY A LARGE SILENT OBJECT WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS FLYING LOW AND FAST TELL THEIR STORIES TO LOCAL PRESS AND NATIONAL PRESS. THE NEWS WAS CARRIED ACROSS THE GLOBE BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, CABLE NEWS NETWORKS AND MOST NATIONAL AND LOCAL NEWSPAPERS AND TV STATIONS. AND SINCE THEN, MANY TEXANS HAVE BEEN PAYING CLOSER ATTENTION TO WHAT'S IN THE SKY. >> I HAVE TO STRESS THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION. THIS JUST HAPPENED LAST MONTH; IT'S VERY FRESH. AND JUST TALKING TO SOME OF THE LOCALS, YOU'RE REALLY GETTING THE FEELING THAT THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON HERE. >> Narrator: PILOT STEVE ALLEN AND HIS FRIENDS REPORTEDLY SPOTTED A U.F.O. ON JANUARY 8, DESCRIBING IT AS HAVING LIGHTS SPANNING ABOUT A MILE LONG AND A HALF MILE WIDE. LEROY GAYTON, A POLICE CONSTABLE, DESCRIBES IT AS ONE RED AND WHITE GLOWING LIGHT MOVING VERY FAST. WHAT WAS THIS ANOMALOUS OBJECT? GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FIRST STATE THERE WAS NO MILITARY CRAFT ON THE EVENING OF JANUARY 8. SOON AFTER, A REVERSAL. THE MILITARY ISSUES A SECOND STATEMENT SAYING THAT ACTUALLY YES, TEN F-16s WERE LAUNCHED FOR A TRAINING SESSION. THE RESIDENTS FIND SOMETHING PECULIAR ABOUT THAT. >> IT WAS TOTALLY SILENT. >> NO SOUND. >> I NEVER HEAR A SOUND. >> THERE WASN'T ANY NOISE. >> Narrator: HOW CAN MULTIPLE JET FIGHTER AIRCRAFT NOT PRODUCE A SOUND? >> THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL OBJECT OF SOME SORT. >> WE HAVE MULTIPLE EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS, SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS GO OUT AND MEET THESE OTHER PEOPLE. EACH ONE OF THESE IS A PUZZLE PIECE THAT MAY HELP US PUT A LARGER PICTURE TOGETHER THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND. >> Narrator: ON FEBRUARY 25, 2008, THE TEAM MOVES THEIR HEADQUARTERS ACROSS FROM THE STEPHENVILLE COURTHOUSE. >> LET'S PUT THE WIPE BOARD RIGHT ON THIS WALL BACK THERE, THEN WE COULD PUT THE MAPS UP OVER HERE. >> Narrator: THEY OPEN THEIR DOOR TO ANYONE WHO CAN PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CASE. >> WELL, GENTLEMEN, WE'RE OFFICIALLY IN BUSINESS. >> NOW WE'RE FULLY SET UP, AND WE GOT THE THINGS THAT WE NEED. WE GOT MAPS OF THE LOCAL AREA, WE ARE ON FULL U.F.O. HUNTER ALERT HERE. >> FIRST STEP, WE ARE GOING TO TALK TO WITNESSES. >> IF WE CAN ESTABLISH GEOMETRIES AROUND THESE SIGHTINGS, AND THEN IF THEY CORROBORATE, WE CAN TRIANGULATE POSITIONS. >> WE NOT ONLY NEED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE LOCATION AND ENVIRONMENT, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. >> THE SIZES, THE COLORS. >> OBJECT DESCRIPTION, ALL RIGHT. >> ALSO, THIS IS A VERY HEAVY MILITARY AREA, SO DID THE MILITARY HAVE PLANES IN THE AIR ON THE NIGHTS IN QUESTION? >> Narrator: THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THE TEAM WANTS TO ADDRESS IN ORDER TO SOLVE THIS MYSTERY. >> WHY HERE? WHY IN TEXAS? WHY HERE? >> IT IS 28 MINUTES NOW BEFORE 9:00, AND, PAMELA, WE ARE JOINED IN STUDIO WITH THE GUYS FROM "U.F.O. HUNTERS." GOOD MORNING, MEN. >> GOOD MORNING! >> Narrator: THE TEAM PUTS OUT A CITYWIDE CALL OVER 98.5 KCUB FOR WITNESSES OF THE U.F.O. SWARM. >> WE'D LIKE TO ACTUALLY INVITE ANYONE TO COME DOWN TO OUR HEADQUARTERS. >> WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR EVEN FURTHER EVIDENCE, SO ANY KINDS OF PHOTOS OR VIDEO FOOTAGE OR ANYTHING THAT'S MORE TANGIBLE. >> Narrator: IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG. >> HI, THIS IS TED ACWORTH. >> THIS IS JEFFERY TOMLINSON. >> AND I'M FROM "U.F.O. HUNTERS" AND "U.F.O. MAGAZINE." >> YOUR SIGHTING WAS THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 8. IS THAT CORRECT? >> Narrator: THE TEAM GATHERS AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE FROM A NUMBER OF PHONE CALLS... >> THAT'S WHAT OTHER PEOPLE WERE DESCRIBING AS WELL. >> Narrator: ...PERSONAL INTERVIEWS... >> THEN I SAW THIS OBJECT. AND THEN, AS IT GOT A LITTLE CLOSER, I REALIZED IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY WINGS. >> Narrator: ...AND MEDIA REPORTS. SURPRISINGLY, MANY WITNESSES IN THIS TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN TOWN COME FORWARD WITH THEIR SIGHTINGS. >> WE'RE NOT A BUNCH OF SPACE ALIEN AFICIONADOS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THAT'S WHY IT'S SURPRISING THAT A LOT OF UPSTANDING CITIZENS ARE COMING FORWARD WITH THIS SIGHTING. >> Narrator: THE TEAM RECEIVES A PHONE CALL FROM AN ERATH COUNTY POLICE SERGEANT WHO WITNESSED THE ALLEGED U.F.O. HE PHONES IN HIS ACCOUNT BECAUSE HE WISHES NOT TO BE SEEN. THE TEAM HAS VERIFIED HIS IDENTITY. >><i> WE HAD LOCATED SOMETHING</i> <i>BRIGHT IN THE SKY NORTHWEST OF</i> <i>THE HIGHWAY.</i> <i>I LOOKED AT IT FROM THE</i> <i>DISTANCE.</i> <i>IT WAS BRIGHT.</i> <i>IT APPEARED TO BE SPINNING AND</i> <i>CHANGING COLORS.</i> >> WELL, SERGEANT, IS THERE ANY CHANCE THAT THIS OBJECT COULD HAVE BEEN AN AIRPLANE OR A HELICOPTER? >><i> IN MY PERCEPTION, I WOULD SAY</i> <i>NO.</i> >> THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING GOING ON. WE'VE GOT REPORTS OF A HUGE CRAFT A MILE LONG WIDE, HALF A MILE WIDE. REPORTS OF SMALLER OBJECTS THAT PEOPLE SWEAR ARE NOT AIRPLANES. AND THESE PEOPLE KNOW THEIR AIRPLANES. >> Narrator: THE DESCRIPTION, TIME AND LOCATION OF THE U.F.O. VARY FROM PERSON TO PERSON. IS THIS A CASE OF A SINGLE OBJECT OR MULTIPLE OBJECTS? >> WHAT KIND OF HARD SCIENCE, WHAT KIND OF HARD EVIDENCE DO WE HAVE? >> Narrator: BUT THERE IS ONE WITNESS WHO CAN PROVIDE MORE THAN JUST HIS TESTIMONY. >> YEAH, ME AND MY GRANDSON WAS COMING HOME FROM RENTING MOVIES ONE NIGHT, AND WE'RE DRIVING DOWN THIS ROAD HERE COMING IN THIS DIRECTION, AND MY GRANDSON SAID HE SEEN LIGHTNING IN THE SKY. >> Narrator: DAVID CURON A FORMER OIL RIGGER AND LOCAL MECHANIC, WAS ALERTED BY HIS GRANDSON OF SOMETHING IN THE SKY AROUND 9:00 P.M. ON JANUARY 19. >> SO YOU SAW THE OBJECT. WHAT CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION WHEN YOU WERE LOOKING AT IT? >> THE LIGHT. IT WAS LIKE LIGHTNING. >> YEAH, OKAY. YOU SAID IT LOOKED LIKE LIGHTNING? >> I DIDN'T SEE NO LIGHTNING, NOT ON MY SIDE. >> YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THESE LIGHTS BEFORE? >> I WENT AND TOLD MY PAPA. HE WENT OUT HERE AND CAPTURED IT. >> I WENT INTO THE HOUSE. I GOT MY CAMCORDER AND STARTED FILMING IT. >> Narrator: CURON PICKED UP HIS JVC 32x OPTICAL ZOOM CAMCORDER AND RECORDS THE BRIGHT, FAST- MOVING LIGHT FOR 14 MINUTES. >> I WAS STANDING RIGHT HERE, AND I TOOK MY CAMCORDER AND I PUT THE STRAP AGAINST THIS AND I HELD IT AGAINST THE POLE, AND IT WAS IN THE SOUTHWEST DIRECTION. >> RIGHT THERE? >> BETWEEN THE TREES? >> YES. YES, IT WAS TOWARDS SELDON. >> SELDON IS WHERE THE OBJECTS WERE FIRST SEEN. >> IT WAS ROUND IN SHAPE AND IT HAD BRIGHT LIGHTS. IT HAD, LIKE, RIBBONS COMING OFF OF IT. >> HOW DO YOU MEAN RIBBONS? YOU MEAN RIBBONS OF LIGHT? >> YEAH, BRIGHT LIGHTS. DIFFERENT COLOR LIGHTS. AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THIS COULD BE SEEN WITH THE NAKED EYE. >> WHAT COLOR WAS THE LIGHT ON THE OBJECT? >> RED, BLUE, GREEN, ALL DIFFERENT COLORS. >> SO THE OBJECT ITSELF IS CHANGING COLORS? >> YES, YES. >> Narrator: CURON DESCRIBES THE OBJECT AS BEING MULTICOLORED, NOISELESS AND MAKING RIBBON-LIKE PATTERNS. >> WHAT ABOUT THE SUGGESTION THAT THESE WERE F-16s? >> I'VE NEVER SEEN AN F-16 DO THAT. >> THIS DID NOT LOOK LIKE AN F-16 TO YOU? >> NO, NO. I KNOW WHAT AN F-16 SOUNDS LIKE GOING THROUGH THE SKY ALSO. >> OKAY. >> IT CAN BE HEARD. >> AS FAR YOU KNOW, THIS WAS NOT AN AIRPLANE. >> IT'S NOT AN AIRPLANE. >> HELICOPTER? >> NO HELICOPTER. >> BALLOON? >> DEFINITELY NOT A BALLOON. >> CERTAINLY, YOU'VE GOT AN EVENT THAT MADE PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT SOMETHING PARANORMAL. >> Narrator: FOR THE FIRST TIME, CURON RELINQUISHES HIS VIDEO FOOTAGE AND CAMERA TO THE TEAM IN HOPES THAT THEY MAY UNCOVER WHAT OCCURRED THAT NIGHT. >> THERE WAS DEFINITELY SOMETHING ON THAT VIDEOTAPE. >> Narrator: COULD THIS BE THE FIRST DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE OF THE STEPHENVILLE EVENT? >> GUYS, WE'VE GOT SOMETHING GREAT FOR YOU. >> Narrator: NEVER BEFORE HAS THIS VIDEO BEEN RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC. >> IT'S NOT JUST A GLIMPSE OF AN OBJECT. HE HAD OVER 14 MINUTES OF FOOTAGE. >> Narrator: AND WHEN THE TEAM ANALYZES IT... >> I CAN'T EXPLAIN THAT. >> THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON. >> Narrator: ...THEY UNCOVER DISTURBING EVIDENCE. >> I'M CONVINCED. >> THESE WEREN'T AIRCRAFT OR HELICOPTERS. >> I'M 52 YEARS OLD, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN NOTHING LIKE THIS. >> I KNEW SOMETHING WAS THERE, BUT YOU COULDN'T SEE IT. I NOTICE THE BIRDS WENT SMACK INTO IT AND THEN SPIRALED DOWN TO THE GROUND AND FELL. >> Narrator: IN JANUARY 2008, NUMEROUS LOCALS OF STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS, AND SURROUNDING AREAS REPORT SEEING STRANGE BRIGHT CRAFT, POSSIBLY EXTRA TERRESTRIAL. >> I RAN INSIDE THE HOUSE AND GOT MY CAMCORDER AND STARTED TAKING FOOTAGE OF THE OBJECT. >> GUYS, WE'VE GOT SOMETHING GREAT FOR YOU. WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT FOOTAGE. JEFF, COULD YOU HOOK THAT UP TO THE PLAYER? >> ALL RIGHT, I'LL SET IT UP. >> Narrator: FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE TEAM STUDIES VIDEO EVIDENCE OF ONE OF THE SIGHTINGS THAT OCCURRED ON JANUARY 19, 2008. JOINING THE TEAM IS KEN CHERRY, THE STATE DIRECTOR OF MUFON, THE MUTUAL U.F.O. NETWORK. DAVE CURON STARTS RECORDING A BRIGHT LIGHT IN THE DISTANCE AT 8:45 P.M. WITH A HANDHELD DIGITAL CAMCORDER. HE STABILIZES THE CAMERA BY PROPPING IT AGAINST A STURDY POLE. >> THIS IS OUT IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE, ACTUALLY POINTED BETWEEN A LINE OF TREES AND A TELEPHONE POLE. >> Narrator: USING THE CAMERA'S 32x OPTICAL ZOOM, HE FILMS WHAT HE BELIEVES IS A U.F.O. THE OBJECT HAS EITHER A SERPENTINE SHAPE OR PRODUCES RIBBON-LIKE PATTERNS. >> WELL, THAT LOOKS SEVERELY BLURRED OR DEFOCUSED. >> HE'S GOT IT ON SOME KIND OF NIGHT SHOT RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS WHY YOU'RE GETTING THIS SORT OF STUTTER. >> Narrator: BECAUSE THE SIGHTING OCCURS AT NIGHT, CURON USES A SPECIAL CAMERA SETTING TO CAPTURE IMAGES AT LOW LIGHT. >> HE SAID HE SAW IT WITH HIS NAKED EYE... >> YES. >> ...BEFORE HE PUT THE CAMERA UP TO IT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT GOT HIM TO GO INSIDE THE HOUSE AND GET THE CAMERA. IF HE SAID THIS IS WHAT HE ACTUALLY SAW, MAYBE NOT AS PRONOUNCED... >> EXACTLY. >> ...BUT HE SAW STREAKS COMING OFF IT WITH HIS NAKED EYE, THAT TELLS ME, OKAY, FINE, HE'S SEEING SOMETHING. >> YEP. >> Narrator: THE LIGHT DISPLAYS ANOTHER UNEXPLAINABLE CHARACTERISTIC. >> IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S DEFINITELY MULTICOLOR. >> PROBABLY THE MOST CURIOUS THING TO ME IS THAT THE OBJECT APPEARS TO BE CHANGING COLORS THROUGHOUT THE SPECTRUM. I CAN'T EXPLAIN THAT. >> HAVE YOU SEEN THESE KINDS OF SHAPES BEFORE? >> Narrator: WHAT IS THE OBJECT? IS THIS IMAGE THE RESULT OF OPERATOR ERROR? OR COULD CURON HAVE ACTUALLY VIDEOTAPED A U.F.O.? >> WELL, WE COULD SIMPLY TRY TO REPRODUCE THIS EFFECT AND SEE IF WE CAN GET SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT. >> LET'S DO IT. >> ALL RIGHT. >> GREAT. >> IT'S A GOOD-SIZED UNIVERSITY. >> Narrator: DR. TED ACWORTH, ALONG WITH EXPERIMENTS PRODUCER JOHN TINDELL, HEAD TO TARELTON STATE UNIVERSITY TO SEE IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO RECREATE THE ALLEGED U.F.O. FOOTAGE. >> TO ME, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF HAND VIBRATION, WHICH IS WHAT'S MAKING IT LOOK LIKE A U.F.O. SO I REALLY WANT TO SET UP AN EXPERIMENT TO SEE IF WE CAN MIMIC THE SHAKING OF THE HAND AND RECREATE THE EFFECT THAT WE HAVE ON THE FOOTAGE. >> OKAY. >> Narrator: MEANWHILE, PAT AND BILL HAVE DISCOVERED A NEW TWIST IN THEIR INVESTIGATION. >> THIS IS NOT ABOUT A JANUARY 8 SIGHTING, THIS IS ABOUT A CLUSTER OF SIGHTINGS IN A LOW POPULATION AREA. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THIS CASE IS ABOUT A JANUARY THE 8th SIGHTING. IN FACT, IT'S NOT. >> Narrator: LOCAL MEDIA CLAIM THE MASS U.F.O. SIGHTINGS BEGAN ON JANUARY 8, BUT KEN CHERRY HAS FOUND EVIDENCE PROVING THEM WRONG. >> THE STORY BEGINS IN DECEMBER OF '07. >> Narrator: MUFON TYPICALLY RECEIVES 20 U.F.O. REPORTS A MONTH FROM TEXAS, BUT THAT NUMBER WAS QUICKLY SURPASSED BY THE REPORTS FROM THIS SINGLE TOWN. >> SO THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER, WE HAVE TWO. THE SECOND WEEK, SAME AREA, WE HAVE FOUR. THIRD WEEK, SEVEN REPORTS. WE'VE GOT FIVE MORE. AT THIS POINT, WE REALIZED THAT WE HAVE A VERY SIGNIFICANT MASS SIGHTING. >> Narrator: SOME CLAIM THAT THE RASH OF THE REPORTS IN AND AROUND STEPHENVILLE WERE BY PEOPLE WHO WERE INSPIRED TO SEE LIGHTS IN THE SKY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE FLURRY OF MEDIA REPORTS THAT BEGAN ON JANUARY 10. BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THAT; MUFON BEGAN RECEIVING REPORTS A MONTH EARLIER. >> THIS IS AROUND CHRISTMAS, WHEN TYPICALLY OUR WHOLE SYSTEM HAS A BIG LULL. >> THERE HAVE BEEN SIGHTINGS DATING ALL THE WAY BACK TO EARLY DECEMBER 2007 THAT HAVE PEAKED IN EARLY JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, AND THEN, NOW THAT SWARM OF SIGHTINGS IS MOVING SOUTH TOWARD HOUSTON. >> Narrator: ACCORDING TO THE LATEST MUFON REPORTS, U.F.O. SIGHTINGS STARTED IN TOWNS OF ERATH COUNTY. BUT AS WEEKS WENT BY, THE SIGHTINGS BEGAN TO MOVE SOUTH. JANUARY 20, SAN ANTONIO: A CIGAR-SHAPED U.F.O. JANUARY 26, SAN ANTONIO: FLYING DISC. JANUARY 29, KATY: STRANGE TRIANGLE. FEBRUARY 2, HOUSTON: A BRIGHT SPHERE. THE SIGHTINGS EVENTUALLY TAPER OFF AROUND HOUSTON IN FEBRUARY 2008, BUT REPORTS ARE STILL BEING COLLECTED IN THIS ONGOING INVESTIGATION. >> IT'S ALMOST LIKE A FLOCK OF BIRDS. I HOPE IT'S NOT, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE. >> Narrator: WHAT WAS THE OBJECT OR OBJECTS THAT MANY RESIDENTS WITNESSED AND DAVID CURON FILMED? >> YEAH, THAT'S ALL WE NEED. >> Narrator: TED, USING CURON'S VIDEO CAMERA, ATTEMPTS TO RECREATE THE FOOTAGE IN QUESTION. THEY RIG THE BASE OF THE CAMERA TO A SPINNING DRILL, WHICH MOVES THE CAMERA LEFT TO RIGHT, MIMICKING THE MOVEMENT OF A HAND. CURON CLAIMS TO HAVE SHOT A STEADY IMAGE, HOLDING THE CAMERA AGAINST THE POLE. BUT COULD A SHAKY CAMERA PRODUCE A RIBBON EFFECT AS SEEN ON THE TAPE? >> WE'VE SET UP THE CAMERA. WE'VE GOT A POINT SOURCE ON THE HORIZON. >> Narrator: THE CAMERA RECORDS A LIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM REPRESENTING THE ALLEGED U.F.O. THERE ARE A FEW SIMILARITIES BETWEEN A SHAKY CAMERA FILMING A FIXED LIGHT AND CURON'S FOOTAGE OF A U.F.O. >> IT... CLEARLY, IT'S IN ONE DIMENSION, WE KNOW THAT IT'S HORIZONTAL. BUT NOW, IMAGINE THAT SPREAD OVER 2-D IN THE HAND, I THINK WE'D BE SEEING MORE OR LESS WHAT WE GOT IN THE FOOTAGE. >> THE RIBBON EFFECT, TO ME, I THINK IT SAYS THE CAMERA WAS IN NIGHT MODE, AND IT WAS TAKING LONGER EXPOSURES PER FRAME. AND WE JUST REPLICATED IT. >> Narrator: THE TEST FOOTAGE IS STILL NOT AN EXACT MATCH. CURON BELIEVES HE FILMED A SINGLE POINT OF LIGHT THAT CHANGES COLOR. BUT IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A STAR OR JETLINER FAR IN THE DISTANCE TO PRODUCE THAT EFFECT? >> THE FOOTAGE IS ALL THE DIFFERENT COLORS BLENDING. WELL, COULD YOU COMBINE RED, GREEN AND WHITE AND GET CLOSE TO THAT? >> Narrator: JOHN TINDELL ADDS RED AND GREEN LIGHTS, WHICH CAN BE FOUND ON THE WINGS AND TAILS OF AIRPLANES, AND TRIES THE EXPERIMENT AGAIN. >> THERE'S A MIXING OF THE COLORS THAT YOU WOULD FIND ON AN AIRCRAFT-- THE RED, THE GREEN, THE WHITE, AND ALL THE HUES IN- BETWEEN. YOU GET THOSE COLORS ADDING TOGETHER. I THINK IT LOOKED VERY SIMILAR, AND WE'RE USING THE SAME COLORS THAT ARE ON AIRCRAFT WITH A VERY SIMILAR TECHNIQUE. AND TO ME, THAT SAYS AIRPLANE. >> Narrator: THE CAMERA RECORDS TRACES OF MULTICOLORED LIGHTS. AGAIN, IT IS SIMILAR BUT NOT AN EXACT MATCH TO THE U.F.O. VIDEO WHERE THE LIGHTS SEEM TO BLEND. >> I CAN'T SAY ABSOLUTELY, DEFINITIVELY, WHAT THAT POINT OF LIGHT WAS, BUT I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT IT WAS A TERRESTRIAL AIRCRAFT AT GREAT DISTANCE WITH A CONSUMER CAMERA INTRODUCING ERRORS THAT MADE IT LOOK MORE INTERESTING THAT IT WAS. BUT I'D LOVE TO GET OTHER EYES ON THIS. PEOPLE ARE SEEING ALL KINDS OF THINGS HERE. THAT'S SCIENTIFIC FACT. SO, SOMETHING'S HAPPENING. HOPEFULLY, WE'LL GET MORE EVIDENCE. >><i> HI, EVERYBODY.</i> <i>WE'RE INVESTIGATING THE</i> <i>STEPHENVILLE FLYING SAUCER</i> <i>FLAP.</i> >><i> WE'RE LOOKING FOR LOCAL</i> <i>PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE ANY</i> <i>SIGHTINGS, EVIDENCE TO COME</i> <i>FORWARD AND TALK TO US ABOUT</i> <i>IT.</i> >> Narrator: ANOTHER WITNESS BRINGS THE TEAM FOOTAGE, AND IT'S NOTHING LIKE CURON'S. >> IT STARTED IN NOVEMBER OF 2007. >> Narrator: MARGIE GALVEZ LIVES ON 15 ACRES OF LAND IN BROWNWOOD, TEXAS, HOME TO A YARD FULL OF LIVESTOCK. BUT IN NOVEMBER, SHE NOTICED HER ANIMALS SLOWLY DISAPPEARING. I LOST LIVESTOCK AND, YOU KNOW, MY DUCKS AND CHICKENS. WE WOULD GET UP THE NEXT MORNING AND FIND THEIR BEAKS IN THE WATER FLOATING AND NOTHING ELSE. >> Narrator: IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A PREDATOR OR A FERAL DOG, SO TO CATCH THE CULPRIT IN THE ACT, SHE SET UP A SMALL NIGHT VISION CAMERA. BUT ON NOVEMBER 21, SHE RECORDED SOMETHING SHE DIDN'T EXPECT. I WENT AHEAD AND KICKED ON THE RECORDING AT 1:41 A.M., AND I CAUGHT A BEAM OF LIGHT. IT BEAMED DOWN PERFECTLY. BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT JUST BEAMED DOWN. >> HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THIS WITH YOUR NAKED EYE? >> NO. >> I SEE IT. >> Narrator: THE CAMERA RECORDS A LIGHT FOR FOUR MINUTES. >> IT'S UNEXPLAINABLE. >> Narrator: THE MYSTERIOUS BEAM OF LIGHT IS CONE-SHAPED, PROBABLY THE LENGTH OF A CAR. AND SURPRISINGLY, IT DOES NOT SEEM TO TOUCH THE GROUND. >> SEARCHLIGHTS DON'T DO THAT UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE GROUND THAT'S RAISED THAT'S STOPPING THE LIGHT. >> PEOPLE DO COMMONLY REPORT BEAMS THAT ACTUALLY ARE TRUNCATED COMING DOWN FROM UFOs. >> I'VE HEARD THIS SCORES OF TIMES. >> Narrator: EVER SINCE WITNESSES HAVE CLAIMED TO SEE U.F.O.s, THERE HAVE BEEN FREQUENT SIGHTINGS OF BEAMS OF LIGHT. >><i> THERE'S SOMETHING VERY</i> <i>STRANGE.</i> >> Narrator: AND JUST BEFORE THE MASS U.F.O. REPORTS IN STEPHENVILLE BEGIN, MARGIE GALVEZ WITNESSES THIS. SOMETHING SHOCKING IS HAPPENING THAT KEEPS THE TOWN ON HIGH ALERT. >> THERE'S LIKE A BEAM COMING DOWN FROM THERE. >> Narrator: AND THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHT WAS SEEN BY MARGIE GALVEZ WAS SEEN BY OTHERS AS WELL. >> THE GIRLS WERE SCREAMING. >> Narrator: HUNDREDS OF U.F.O. SIGHTINGS SWEPT ACROSS THE SMALL AREA OF ERATH COUNTY, TEXAS. >> APPROXIMATELY 200 DIFFERENT SIGHTINGS OVER A THREE-MONTH PERIOD. >> IT JUST TOOK OFF. >> VERY BRIGHT CENTER IN IT. >> Narrator: AND NEIGHBORHOODS ARE RIDDLED WITH PARANORMAL ACTIVITY. >> I SIGHTED A BEAM LIGHT. >> Narrator: ONE WITNESS CLAIMS TO HAVE VIDEO OF A BEAM OF LIGHT THAT HIT HER BACKYARD BUT NEVER TOUCHED THE GROUND. >> THERE IT IS UP THERE. >> I'M OPEN TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT SOME OF THESE LIGHTS IN THE SKY ARE HERE FOR WHATEVER REASON WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND. MAYBE THEY'RE WATCHING US. >> WE NEED TO SEE WHAT WE CAN CORROBORATE WITH OTHER SIGHTINGS-- RIGHT, PAT?-- AND BASICALLY SEE WHO SAW SOMETHING AT THAT POINT IN THE SKY. >> LET'S DO THAT. >> Narrator: BILL FINDS A 45-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO ALSO BELIEVES TO HAVE WITNESSED A U.F.O. EMITTING THE SAME SUSPICIOUS BEAM OF LIGHT. FOR THE SAKE OF HER JOB, SHE WISHES TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS. >> JANUARY 19, AND LIKE I SAID, IT WAS RIGHT AFTER 10:00. ONCE WE GOT TO A STOP SIGN, WE HAD SEEN AN OBJECT THAT WAS JUST RIGHT ABOVE THE TREES. >> Narrator: WHILE DRIVING, SHE AND THREE TEENAGE GIRLS IN THE CAR SPOT BRIGHT LIGHTS IN THE SKY. >> THE LIGHTS WERE, LIKE, GOING LIKE IN A CIRCULAR MOTION. THEY WERE HUGE LIGHTS. WE WERE FOLLOWING THE OBJECT. WE CAN SEE THE OBJECT GOING VERY SLOW. AND SO WE STARTED COMING AROUND RIGHT HERE, THAT'S WHEN IT STARTED KIND OF MOVING A LITTLE FASTER, AND THEN IT JUST ZAPPED OUT. IT WAS JUST SOMETHING LIKE THIS, KIND OF LIKE OVAL SHAPES. THEY WERE HUGE LIGHTS. THEY WERE, LIKE, GOING IN CIRCULAR MOTION. >> Narrator: SHE WITNESSES THE OBJECT ON THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 19 IN THE HOURS JUST AFTER DAVID CURON MADE HIS VIDEO. IS THERE A CONNECTION? THIS REPORTED U.F.O. SIGHTING OCCURS ONLY THREE MILES AWAY FROM CURON'S RESIDENCE. BUT TO THIS WITNESS' EYES, IT SUPPOSEDLY EMITS A BEAM OF LIGHT SIMILAR TO THE ONE DESCRIBED BY MARGIE VALDEZ 52 MILES AWAY. >> THERE WAS, LIKE, A BEAM OF LIGHT COMING DOWN FROM THERE. >> DID THE BEAM HIT THE GROUND? >> NO. >> NO? YOU DON'T SEE ANY LIGHT ON THE GROUND? >> NO. >> TWO WITNESSES, ONE SHOWING US A VIDEO, ONE SEEING THE OBJECT, BUT THEY BOTH SEE THE SAME THING: THE CONE OF LIGHT STOPPING AND NEVER HITTING THE GROUND. SOMETHING WAS THERE. >> Narrator: ACCORDING TO THE MILITARY, SOMETHING WAS THERE, BUT IT WAS NOT EXTRATERRESTRIAL. ON JANUARY 14, FOUR DAYS AFTER THE MEDIA REPORTS THE ALLEGED U.F.O. SIGHTING, MAJOR KARL LEWIS, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE JOINT RESERVE BASE IN FORT WORTH, SAID THERE WERE NO F-16s IN THE AREA THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 8. TEN DAYS LATER, ON JANUARY 24, THE U.S. MILITARY CHANGES ITS STORY. IT CLAIMS THERE WAS AN ERROR IN REPORTING THE TRAINING ACTIVITY OF MILITARY AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE ACTUALLY TEN F-16s FROM THE 457th FIGHTER SQUADRON IN THE AREA FROM 6:00 P.M. TO 8:00 P.M. THAT NIGHT. >> I DON'T KNOW WHY THERE WOULD BE TEN F-16s IN THE SAME AREA AT THE SAME TIME. IT'S VERY STRANGE. >> Narrator: AND EVEN IF TEN F-16s WERE IN THE AIR ON JANUARY 8, HOW DOES THAT ACCOUNT FOR THE SIGHTINGS ON THE WEEKS BEFORE AND AFTER? >> THEY ALL KEEP GOING BACK TO THE 8th OF JANUARY. I KNOW ACTUALLY A COUPLE OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE SEEN IT MORE THAN ONE NIGHT. >> SO DO YOU THINK THE MILITARY IS HIDING SOMETHING? >> OH, YES. OH, YEAH, THE MILITARY IS HIDING SOMETHING. >> WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET TEN F-16s IN THE AIR FROM A RESERVE BASE? >> ONLY THE MAJOR IN CHARGE OF THE WING COULD AUTHORIZE THE AIRCRAFT, THE FUEL, THE GROUND CREWS, PLUS ALL OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE INVOLVED. THAT, IN ITSELF, WOULD BE UNUSUAL. SO EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SPELLS IT WAS AN EXCEPTIONAL SITUATION TO PUT THOSE JETS IN THE AIR. >> Narrator: IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THESE JETS WERE SCRAMBLED BECAUSE SOMETHING UNUSUAL WAS DETECTED IN THE AIRSPACE? >> ALREADY, JUST LIKE ROSWELL 1947, YOU HAVE EVENTS TAKING PLACE HERE THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO SMOTHER, BUT THE TRUTH WILL OUT. >> Narrator: TED AND JEFF, USING AIRSPACE CHARTING MAPS, INVESTIGATE THE SURROUNDING MILITARY BASES. >> I'M CURIOUS, WHERE CAN WE COME UP WITH MILITARY FLIGHT TRAINING PATH? >> THE BEST WE CAN HAVE AS CIVILIANS IS TO GET A MILITARY OPERATIONS AREA. >> Narrator: THE STEPHENVILLE U.F.O. SIGHTINGS ARE SURROUNDED BY CLARK FIELD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, DALLAS-FT. WORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AND FORTH WORTH NAVAL AIR STATION JOINT RESERVE BASE. >> OH, I SEE SOMETHING. MILITARY OPERATIONS AREA. >> Narrator: STEPHENVILLE IS 12 MILES TO THE NORTHEAST OF BROWNWOOD MILITARY OPERATIONS AREA, WHERE CIVILIANS AND COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS ARE PROHIBITED. LIKEWISE, MILITARY CRAFT ARE NOT ALLOWED OUTSIDE OF THIS ZONE. >> SO WE'RE ON THE BRINK OF THIS MILITARY AREA, RIGHT? >> WE ACTUALLY HAVE LOTS OF SIGHTINGS IN DUBLIN AS WELL AS STEPHENVILLE. AND THIS ONE RIGHT HERE, THAT'S A FULLY RESTRICTED AREA. >> Narrator: 60 MILES TO THE SOUTHEAST SITS THE PRESIDENTIAL RANCH IN CRAWFORD, A SEVERELY RESTRICTED AIRSPACE. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN, TED, IF THESE MILITARY AIRCRAFT WAS SCHEDULED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF EXERCISE, BUT THEY VENTURED OUTSIDE OF THE MILITARY OPERATIONS AREA? >> PRETTY UNLIKELY. PRETTY UNLIKELY. >> Narrator: IS IT POSSIBLE THAT MILITARY JETS FLYING OUT OF THEIR AIRSPACE IS A CAUSE FOR THE U.F.O. SIGHTINGS? PAT USKERT ATTEMPTS TO GET A STATEMENT FROM THE OFFICIALS AT THE FORT WORTH NAVAL AIR STATION. >><i> HELLO?</i> >> I'M CALLING FROM HISTORY, AND I'M WONDERING WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO TALK TO REGARDING CURRENT U.F.O. EVENTS OVER STEPHENVILLE. >><i> I COULDN'T ANSWER ANYTHING ON</i> <i>THAT.</i> >> IS THERE ANY WAY I WOULD BE ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH MAJOR KARL LEWIS? >><i> I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT COMMAND</i> <i>HE'S AT.</i> >> WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ANYONE FROM THE 457th FIGHTER SQUADRON? >><i> I'M NOT SHOWING ANY 457th</i> <i>FIGHTER SQUADRON.</i> >> Narrator: EITHER OFFICIALS ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO COMMENT, OR DECLINE TO ANSWER. TO DETERMINE IF MILITARY CRAFT ARE BEING MISTAKEN FOR A U.F.O., THE TEAM MUST CALCULATE THE PATH AND LOCATION OF THE REPORTED U.F.O.s. >> SO IF WE CAN CORROBORATE AT LEAST THREE DIFFERENT EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS AROUND A SINGLE SIGHTING, WE COULD TRY TO TRIANGULATE WHAT THEY SAW AND WHERE THEY SAW IT. AND IF THOSE THREE CORROBORATE IN TERMS OF POSITION, THAT SHOULD GIVE US A HUNCH ABOUT WHERE THEY WERE LOCATED RELATIVE TO ALL OF THESE STANDARD AERONAUTICAL OPERATIONS. >> VERY COOL. LET'S DO IT. >> Narrator: THE TEAM SETS OUT TO FIND THREE OR MORE INDIVIDUALS WHOSE STORIES SHARE THE SAME DESCRIPTION, PLACE AND TIME OF THE EVENT, IN ORDER TO SCIENTIFICALLY PINPOINT THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE MYSTERIOUS CRAFT. IF THE FOCAL POINT OF LOCATIONS DO NOT COINCIDE WITH KNOWN MILITARY FLIGHT PATHS, THEN THE TOWN OF STEPHENVILLE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN VISITED BY F-16s AT ALL, BUT BY SOMETHING ELSE. >> WE'VE GOT A LIVE ONE. >> I AM SCARED. >> PROBABLY THE END OF OUR CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT. >> Narrator: THE TEAM TRIES TO GET AN EXACT LOCATION OF THE SIGHTING THAT TOOK PLACE ON JANUARY 8, THE DAY WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF U.F.O. REPORTS >> I GRABBED MY GUN AND LOOKED UP INTO THE SKY, AND I SAW THE LIGHTS MOVING. >> Narrator: COULD THESE SIGHTINGS BE MISIDENTIFIED MILITARY JETS, CIVILIAN AIRPLANES OR SOMETHING ELSE? >> THESE OBJECTS WERE UNIDENTIFIABLE. I'D NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THEM. >> Narrator: THE TEAM NEEDS AT LEAST THREE INDIVIDUALS WHO WITNESSED THE SAME OBJECT AT THE SAME TIME IN ORDER TO TRIANGULATE THE POSITION OF THE ALLEGED U.F.O. TO HELP DETERMINE WHAT WAS IN THE SKY THAT NIGHT. THEY HAVE A LEAD ON ONE PERSON. >> SO TED, WHAT DO YOU THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS GUY? >> I THINK WE'LL GET SOME GOOD COORDINATES AND A SIGHT LINE FOR THE U.F.O. SIGHTING. >> Narrator: BILL HENSLEY WITNESSES FROM HIS FRONT PORCH A MYSTERIOUS BRIGHT LIGHT MOVING SLOWLY, ALMOST HOVERING. >> AND I SAW THIS REAL BRIGHT LIGHT. IT WAS MOVING, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR NO SOUND. THERE'S TWO OPENINGS IN THE TREE RIGHT THERE. IT WAS IN ONE OF THOSE SPOTS. >> SO YOU SAY RIGHT ABOUT HERE? >> YES. >> SO I'M GETTING 81 DEGREES. AND HOW LONG WAS IT THERE FOR? >> ABOUT 15 MINUTES. BUT IT'S NOT BEEN BACK SINCE. >> RIGHT. >> I'VE NEVER SEEN IT AGAIN. >> HE DEFINITELY FEELS LIKE HE SAW SOMETHING REALLY UNUSUAL. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, BUT I THINK WE GOT ALL THE QUANTITATIVE DATA WE COULD HAVE HOPED FOR. WE NEED TO GET AT LEAST TWO MORE OF THESE. WE CAN TRIANGULATE THE POSITION. >> Narrator: HALF A MILE FROM BILL HENSLEY LIVES JAMES HUSE, A RETIRED U.S. AIR FORCE TECHNICIAN. HE CLAIMS HE SAW AN UNKNOWN OBJECT WITH A SIMILAR DESCRIPTION ON THE SAME DATE AND TIME. >> I CAUGHT SOMETHING, ABOUT THE REDDEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN IN THE SKY. AND THERE WAS TWO OF THEM. I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT. >> Narrator: HUSE REPORTED SEEING TWO BRIGHT RED ORBS TRAVELING FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST. >> THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN AS LOW AS 1,500 FEET. >> WITH JAMES' TESTIMONY, WE'RE OFF TO A GOOD STARTING POINT. WE HAVE TO CORROBORATE THAT WITH MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES, MULTIPLE EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS. >> Narrator: WITH TWO LOCATIONS NOW PINPOINTED, THE TEAM USES THE MUFON DATABASE TO FIND THEIR LAST CORROBORATING LOCATION. THE WITNESS DECLINED TO BE ON CAMERA, BUT REPORTS SEEING THE OBJECT FROM HIS CAR ON INTERSTATE 67. IN THEIR INVESTIGATION, BILL AND PAT HAVE DISCOVERED ANOTHER TWIST TO THE CASE. THERE SEEMS TO BE A LONG HISTORY OF U.F.O.s PLAGUING THIS SMALL TOWN. >> WELL, I'VE BEEN SEEING THESE ANOMALIES, I CALL THEM, IN THE SKY FOR QUITE SOME TIME. IT WAS PROBABLY ABOUT '63, '64. >> Narrator: THERE IS OFTEN A STIGMA ASSOCIATED TO WITNESSING AND REPORTING U.F.O.s. ONE RESIDENT, WHO WISHES TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS, ALLEGES HE HAS WITNESSED CIGAR-SHAPED U.F.O.s IN STEPHENVILLE FOR DECADES. >> THIS OBJECT THAT LOOKED LIKE A FOOTBALL WAS VERY BRIGHT, HAD A LOT OF LIGHTS ON IT, AND JUST ZAPPED OUTSIDE. >> Narrator: CIGAR-SHAPED U.F.O.s ARE ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY SIGHTED OBJECTS BELIEVED TO BE EXTRATERRESTRIAL. ONE OF THE EARLIEST REPORTS WAS FROM 1951 OVER MT. KILIMANJARO IN AFRICA. ANOTHER SIMILAR CRAFT APPEARS IN 1981 HOVERING OVER DENNISON, TEXAS. MAY 25, 1995: CAPTAIN EUGENE TOLLEFSON OF AMERICA WEST FLIGHT 564 CALLS INTO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL THE REPORT OF AN ANOMALOUS FLYING CIGAR IN BOVINA, TEXAS. >><i> IT WAS SOMETHING CIGAR-</i> <i>SHAPED.</i> >><i> IT'S A U.F.O.</i> >> Narrator: AND NOW THEY ARE SEEING IN STEPHENVILLE. >> IT WAS JUST OVAL-SHAPED. >> ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE PHENOMENON AROUND HERE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME? >> YES, IT HAS. >> Narrator: HOW FAR BACK DO U.F.O. SIGHTINGS DATE IN THIS AREA? >> YOU KNOW, I'VE ACTUALLY GOT THE MICROFILM FROM 1897 HERE. >> ANOTHER POSSIBILITY IS THAT THESE SIGHTINGS ARE ACTUALLY RELATED TO THE OTHER SIGHTINGS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED. >> THAT'S THE ONE, HERE'S THE ARTICLE. "MYSTERIOUS AIRSHIP HAS BEEN SEEN IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THIS COUNTY." >> Narrator: APRIL 17, 1897: STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS. SIX YEARS BEFORE THE FIRST PLANE WAS FLOWN, A CIGAR-SHAPED CRAFT WAS SPOTTED IN NORTH TEXAS. RESIDENTS IN DENTON AND AURORA DESCRIBED THE OBJECT AS AN AIRSHIP. >> SO THIS WAS A MASS SIGHTING LIKE TODAY. THERE. REMAINED ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND THEN CONTINUED NORTH. >> Narrator: THE AIRSHIP REPORTEDLY CIRCLED THE TOWN SQUARE OF AURORA AND CRASHED INTO A WINDMILL. >> PEOPLE WERE DESCRIBING FANTASTIC VEHICLES IN THE SKY THAT DIDN'T EVEN EXIST YET. >> IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN A BALLOON, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE BALLOON YET. THE GERMANS DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE BALLOON UNTIL 1900. >> Narrator: TWO DAYS LATER, THE "DALLAS MORNING NEWS" REPORTED THAT THE ONLY THING SURVIVING THE CRASH WERE A NOTE WRITTEN IN INDECIPHERABLE HIEROGLYPHICS AND THE CHARRED BODY OF THE PILOT THAT DID NOT APPEAR HUMAN. >> TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE 1897 AIRSHIP INCIDENT. >> Narrator: THE TEAM MEETS WITH LOCAL HISTORIAN SARAH KENNEDY, WHO HAS BEEN STUDYING THIS CENTURY-OLD PHENOMENON. >> THERE'S ACTUALLY BEEN QUITE A FEW INCIDENTS IN THE ERATH COUNTY AREA. JUNE 12, 1891: THERE WAS A BRILLIANTLY GLOWING BAIL OF COTTON SUSPENDED 300 FEET IN THE AIR. HERE'S ONE FROM 1996, AND THEN EVEN ONE FROM THE MID-1970s OF A CIGAR-SHAPED FORMATION WITH HUGE RED LIGHTS. >> SO, WE ACTUALLY HAVE LIKE DOCUMENTATION OF U.F.O. ACTIVITY THAT'S GONE ON FOR OVER 100 YEARS. >> SURE. AND IT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THE STARS. >> WHAT IS IT ABOUT STEPHENVILLE, DUBLIN, ERATH COUNTY, THAT IS DRAWING ALL THIS ACTIVITY? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? >> Narrator: THE REASONS FOR THE LONG DOCUMENTED U.F.O. PHENOMENON IN TEXAS REMAIN MYSTERIOUS. THE SIGHTINGS MAY BE OF MORE THAN ONE CRAFT, AND THE CHANCE REMAINS THAT AT LEAST ONE HERE IN STEPHENVILLE WAS A MILITARY FLIGHT. THE TEAM CIRCLES BACK TO THE THREE EYEWITNESSES WITH CORROBORATING TESTIMONY. >> EVERYBODY READY? >> Narrator: USING THE WITNESSES' ACCOUNTS, THE TEAM ATTEMPTS AN EXPERIMENT THAT'S NEVER BEFORE BEEN TRIED. >> IT'S THE FIRST FULL GEOGRAPHIC-SCALE EXPERIMENT OF A U.F.O. SIGHTING. >> Narrator: WHAT WILL IT TELL US IF THREE PEOPLE SAW THE SAME THING IN EXACTLY THE SAME PLACE AT THE SAME TIME? THE ANSWERS COULD BE AS FRIGHTENING AS THE U.F.O.s THEMSELVES. >> IT WASN'T SOME DOT OUT ON THE HORIZON INTO INFINITY, IT WAS RIGHT OVER TOWN. >> Narrator: SINCE DECEMBER 2007, MORE THAN 200 U.F.O. SIGHTINGS WERE REPORTED IN ERATH COUNTY, AND THE CLUSTER IS REPORTEDLY MOVING SOUTH. THE INVESTIGATION HAS LEFT THE TEAM WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS. WHAT WAS THIS OBJECT? WHY HERE, AND WHY NOW? NOT KNOWING WHAT IT IS, THE TEAM HOPES TO FIND OUT AT LEAST WHERE IT WAS. MEDIA OUTLETS AND COUNTLESS WITNESSES REPORT SEEING U.F.O.s IN VARYING AREAS AND TIMES, BUT THE TEAM IS ONLY INTERESTED IN THREE OF THESE: THE REPORTS FROM JANUARY 8, BETWEEN 8:00 P.M. AND 9:00 P.M. >> THIS IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY EXCITING EXPERIMENT WE'RE DOING HERE. AS FAR AS I'VE EVER HEARD OF, IT'S THE FIRST FULL GEOGRAPHIC- SCALE TRIANGULATION EXPERIMENT OF A U.F.O. SIGHTING. >> Narrator: IF THE THREE SIGHTLINES OF THE WITNESSES INTERSECT, THEN THE TEAM CAN SCIENTIFICALLY PINPOINT WHERE THE UNKNOWN OBJECT WAS LOCATED. IS THAT LOCATION OVER A MILITARY OPERATIONS AREA? DO RADAR IMAGES ACCOUNT FOR A CRAFT THERE? ARE THE TOWNSPEOPLE MISTAKING MILITARY JETS FLYING OUT OF THEIR DESIGNATED AIRSPACE? ONE THING IS EVIDENT: THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THESE SKIES. >> I'M GOING TO GO AROUND AND GET YOU GUYS INTO THE PROPER POSITIONS RELATIVE TO THIS SITE. >> Narrator: THE TEAM IS AT THE STEPHENVILLE CITY PARK NEAR THE AIRPORT. IN ORDINARY TRIANGULATION EXPERIMENTS, ONE MUST STAND IN THE EXACT POSITION OF THE WITNESSES, PROJECT A LASER TO CREATE THEIR SIGHTLINE, AND DETERMINE WHERE THEY INTERSECT. BUT BECAUSE IT IS AGAINST F.A.A. REGULATIONS TO FIRE A HIGH- POWERED BEAM IN THE SKY, THE TEAM RECALCULATES THE COORDINATES TO FIT THEIR EXPERIMENT IN A SMALLER AREA. >> BASICALLY, WE'RE TRANSPOSING THEIR COORDINATES, YOU KNOW, INTO THIS NEW AREA WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY, LIKE, DO THE DEMONSTRATION. >> AND WE'LL SET UP YOU, AND THEN YOU, AND THEN I'LL BE THE THIRD POINT. WE'LL ALL BE ON RADIO, AND WE'LL BE IN POSITION READY FOR THE BALLOON. >> AND AS SOON AS THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD, SHINE YOUR LASERS ON THERE AND WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN GET A REACTION ON THE... >> WE'LL SEE IF THEY INTERSECT. >> Narrator: WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE STEPHENVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND A NUMBER OF SPECTATORS, THE TEAM TAKES THEIR POSITIONS IN THE PARK. >> OKAY, HERE'S OUR G.P.S. COORDINATES, LAT AND LON, RIGHT THERE. YEP, OKAY, SO THAT'S YOUR DIRECTION. SO REMEMBER THAT DIRECTION. >> GOTCHA. >> JEFF AND I WILL GO TO HIS POSITION. I'LL SET HIM UP THERE. I'LL GO TO THE THIRD. WE'RE ALL ON RADIO. AND WHEN THE TIME'S RIGHT, WE'LL SHOOT THE LASERS. >> I'LL BE HERE. >> WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS AN EIGHT-FOOT WEATHER BALLOON. WHEN WE GET THIS BALLOON POSITIONED TO WHERE OUR EYEWITNESSES BELIEVE THEY SAW THE U.F.O., THEY'LL HIT THE BALLOON WITH THE LASERS, AND WE'LL HAVE CONFIRMATION THAT, BY GOSH, THAT'S WHERE THE U.F.O. WAS. >> ALL RIGHT, JOHN, I AM IN POSITION. LET ME KNOW WHEN I CAN FIRE MY LASER. >> OKAY, JEFF, FIRE YOUR LASER. >> OKAY, TED HERE, TRAINING MY LASER. >><i> STAY ON THE LASER.</i> <i>YOU GOT TO KEEP IT ON THERE.</i> <i>KEEP THEM STEADY.</i> >> OKAY, JOHN, WE'VE GOT OUR THREE COORDINATES. YOU SHOULD BE RAISING THAT BALLOON, AND WE'LL SEE IF WE INTERSECT. >> THAT LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE A U.F.O. >> ALL RIGHT, ARE ALL THREE ON THERE? >> Narrator: THE TEAM SUCCESSFULLY TRIANGULATES THE OBJECT. ACCORDING TO THE TEAM'S FINDINGS, ON JANUARY 8, AROUND 8:00 P.M., AN UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT WAS APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES EAST OF STEPHENVILLE, NEAR CLARK FIELD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. IT HOVERED AT AN ALTITUDE OF AROUND 1,000 FEET. NO MILITARY OPERATIONS AREA FALLS WITHIN THIS RADIUS. THE BROWNWOOD/M.O.A. BORDER IS NINE MILES SOUTHWEST. AND ACCORDING TO RECENTLY RELEASED F.A.A. RADAR DATA, NO KNOWN MILITARY OR COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT WERE IN THE AREA OF THE U.F.O. THAT NIGHT. >> THIS REALLY LEAVES ME WONDERING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON IN STEPHENVILLE? >> Narrator: WHAT NUMEROUS WITNESSES CLAIM CAN BE SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATED, BUT WAS THIS OBJECT EXTRATERRESTRIAL? >> THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK OF TO DESCRIBE THEM WAS U.F.O.s. >> I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT IS. >> I THOUGHT THEY WERE F-16s FLYING IN FORMATION, BUT THE ONLY THING ABOUT IT WAS I NEVER HEARD A NOISE. THE STRANGE THING ABOUT IT, AFTER THE OBJECT DISAPPEARED, MY DOGS ACT LIKE THEY WERE SCARED HALF TO DEATH. AND I'VE NEVER SEEN MY WOLF ACT LIKE THAT. >> WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PINPOINT THE LOCATION OF THE OBJECT, THE TIME THAT IT WAS VIEWED. THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO FOCUS DOWN INTO THE CORE OF THE ENTIRE STEPHENVILLE EPISODE. >> YOUR RESEARCH HAS SHOWN, YOUR EXPERIMENTS HAVE SHOWN, YES, THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE SAW. IT IS NOT AN ILLUSION, IT IS NOT A MYTH, IT IS NOT A HOAX, IT IS NOT MAKE-UP. THAT OBJECT EXISTS. >> BUT WAS IT AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL SPACESHIP? WE CAN'T PROVE THAT. >> BUT IN THIS TIME OF NATIONAL SECURITY, WHAT WOULD BE HOVERING OVER AN AIRPORT THAT IS NOT AN AIRPLANE? >> Narrator: WHAT WAS THE SCORCHING BRIGHT ORB THAT JAMES HUSE WITNESSED, OR THE BEAM OF LIGHT WITNESSED BY OTHERS? SOMETHING OCCURRED IN STEPHENVILLE THAT ALARMED HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS. CITY COUNCILMAN MARK MURPHY REPORTS ONE STORY SPREADING THROUGHOUT THE TOWN. >> I HAVE A CONTACT IN THE MILITARY WHO TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS MOST LIKELY SOME SORT OF CLOAKING DEVICE THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON. AND THEY DO HAVE A CLOAKING DEVICE THAT BENDS LIGHT THAT'S LARGE ENOUGH FOR A SOLDIER, AND THE ONLY WAY TO TRACK IT IS WITH LASERS. >> Narrator: IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THESE CITIZENS WITNESSED A SECRET MILITARY AIRCRAFT? OR IS OUR GOVERNMENT COVERING UP SOMETHING MUCH MORE FRIGHTENING? >> IMAGINE IF IT DID TURN OUT TO BE ALIENS FROM OUTER SPACE. THERE'D BE RIOTING IN THE STREETS AND PROBABLY THE END OF OUR CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT. WE'RE JUST NOT MATURE ENOUGH AS A SOCIETY TO HANDLE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. >> Narrator: EVEN THOUGH THE TEAM PACKS THEIR GEAR AND HEADS BACK HOME, THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE TEXAS U.F.O. INVASION OF 2008 CONTINUES. RESIDENTS OF CORPUS CHRISTI, A TOWN 350 MILES SOUTH OF STEPHENVILLE, REPORT SEEING AN OBJECT NOT OF THIS WORLD. MARCH 21, 2008: A RESIDENT OF ARANSAS PASS, TEXAS, NEAR CORPUS CHRISTI, PHONES THE TEAM. >><i> HEY, YOU.</i> <i>I HEARD YOU GUYS WERE UP IN</i> <i>STEPHENVILLE.</i> <i>AND HERE I SEEN WHAT COULD BE A</i> <i>U.F.O. IN THE SKY WITH SPARKS</i> <i>TRAILING FROM IT.</i> <i>REALLY SOMETHING TO SEE.</i> <i>GIVE ME A CALL.</i> <font color="#FFFF00">Captioning sponsored by</font> <font color="#FFFF00">A&E TELEVISION NETWORKS</font> Captioned by <font color="#00FFFF">Media Access Group at WGBH</font> access.wgbh.org
