>> IN THE SUMMER OF 2008, THE UNITED KINGDOM IS UNDER SIEGE. OVER 3 MONTHS, NEARLY 200 UFO SIGHTINGS SWEEP ACROSS GREAT BRITAIN. >> HOW BIG IT WAS, IF IT HAD COME NEARER, I JUST DON'T KNOW. >> A HUGE TRIANGULAR OBJECT, LIKE ONE SEEN OVER THE UNITED STATES. >> I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. >> AND NEW IMAGES SURFACE. IN ONE, AN UNKNOWN OBJECT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO A TORNADO. >> THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE I'VE SEEN YET. >> IN ANOTHER, SOMETHING BIZARRE IS PHOTOGRAPHED TUMBLING THROUGH THE AIR. AND STRANGEST OF ALL, A POLICE HELICOPTER HOTLY PURSUES AN UNKNOWN CRAFT. >> THE POLICE CLAIMED THAT THE HELICOPTER CHASED THE UFO. >> COULD THERE BE A REASON THIS SUDDEN UFO ESCALATION? >> THEN THE OBJECT ACCELERATED 10 TIMES AS FAST AS A MILITARY JET. >> AND IS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HIDING SOMETHING? THIS IS CASE NUMBER 52004, "UFO STORM." >> THE OBJECT WAS, I WOULD SAY, BETWEEN 100 AND 120 FEET. >> IT WAS A ROUND SHAPE, A SPHERE, AND IT WAS ROTATING. >> AND I SAID, "AM I GOING CRACKERS? CAN ANYBODY SEE THIS?" >> SUMMER 2008. IN COUNTLESS CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED KINGDOM, ACCOUNTS OF STRANGE LIGHTS, UNEXPLAINED OBJECTS, AND OTHER BIZARRE PHENOMENA ATTRACT THE WORLD'S ATTENTION. RECORD-BREAKING NUMBERS OF REPORTS DOMINATE FRONT-PAGE HEADLINES AND NIGHTLY NEWS BROADCASTS. IN LIVERPOOL, 13 STRANGE ORBS. IN RAMSGATE, A GIANT FLYING TRIANGLE. IN BRISTOL, A HOVERING SILVER OBJECT. IN BIRMINGHAM, 3 LOW-FLYING DISKS. AN EPIDEMIC OF UFO SIGHTINGS COVERS THE BRITISH MAP. BY THE END OF AUGUST, NEARLY 200 SIGHTINGS HAVE BEEN REPORTED, AND THE NUMBERS ARE INCREASING. >> WE'VE LANDED HERE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BECAUSE CURRENTLY ENGLAND IS THE WORLD'S HOTSPOT FOR UFO SIGHTINGS. >> AS UFO INVESTIGATORS, THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE WE WANT TO BE, WHERE THE PHENOMENON IS THE MOST ACTIVE. >> WHAT WE'RE GETTING IS VIDEOGRAPHIC AND PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF ORBS, OF TRIANGLES, EVEN ONE CASE RELATED TO METEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENA. >> BILL BIRNES WILL LOOK INTO A BREAKING CASE INVOLVING A POLICE HELICOPTER THAT NEARLY COLLIDES WITH A UFO AND THEN GIVES CHASE TO THE OBJECT. >> THERE WERE CONFLICTS. THE POLICE DENIED IT. THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE DENIED IT. BUT WITNESSES SAID IT REALLY HAPPENED. >> PAT USKERT WILL UNCOVER NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN VIDEO OF AN OBJECT THAT MAY HAVE TIES TO AN AMERICAN MASS SIGHTING. >> HE'S PRETTY IMPRESSED BY WHAT HE SAW THAT NIGHT, AND HE THINKS HE'S LOOKING AT SOME KIND OF UFO EVENT. >> AND DR. TED ACWORTH WILL HUNT DOWN AND ANALYZE COMPELLING PICTURES WHICH SEEM TO SHOW A UFO APPROACHING A TORNADO. >> THE OBJECT WAS VERY, VERY CLOSE NEAR THIS TWISTER. ARE THOSE RELATED? IS THERE SOME CAUSE AND EFFECT? I'M NOT SURE, BUT I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT. >> THIS EPIDEMIC OF UFO's HAS HAPPENED BEFORE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. JUNE 1952-- THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AN ALARMINGLY HIGH NUMBER OF UFO SIGHTINGS SWEEP FROM COAST TO COAST. THE FOLLOWING MONTHS COME TO BE KNOWN AS THE SUMMER OF THE SAUCERS. THE SIGHTINGS SEEMED TO PEAK WHEN 2 PAN-AM PILOTS SPOT 6 GLOWING RED DISKS WHILE FLYING OVER NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, ON THE NIGHT OF JULY 14th. BUT JUST DAYS LATER, ON JULY 19th, THE WAVE REACHES A BREAKING POINT. IN THE SKIES OVER WASHINGTON, D.C., AIR-TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT TRACK SEVERAL OBJECTS FLYING OVER THE WHITE HOUSE. BUT THE OBJECTS VANISH BEFORE AIR FORCE JETS CAN SCRAMBLE. NOW THERE IS A NEW SUMMER OF THE SAUCERS. >> THIS THING WAS JUST MOTIONLESS. IT JUST STAYED THERE. AND EVERY NOW AND THEN, IT WOULD FLASH. >> I DIDN'T BELIEVE IN EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE UNTIL I SAW THIS UFO. >> WHATEVER IS HAPPENING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM HAS LEFT MANY RESIDENTS RUSHING TO RECORD THEIR ENCOUNTERS AS PROOF THAT SOMETHING IS GOING ON. >> I'M ABOUT TO MEET WITH STEVE TOOZER, WHO WITNESSED SOME STRANGE LIGHTS AT THE HEIGHT OF THIS UFO WAVE. HE'S GOT SOME INTERESTING VIDEO, AND WE'RE GOING TO CHECK IT OUT. >> MAY 10, 2008-- UNIVERSITY OF WALES STUDENT STEVE TOOZER IS WALKING BACK TO HIS DORM AFTER A LATE-NIGHT SOCCER GAME, BUT HIS NIGHT IS ABOUT TO GET A LOT MORE EXCITING. >> WELL, IT WAS ON MAY 10th, ABOUT...BETWEEN 11:00 AND 12:00 AT MIDNIGHT. AND I HAPPENED TO HAVE MY HANDHELD CAMERA. I LOOKED STRAIGHT INTO THE SKY, AND I SAW THESE STRANGE LIGHTS. AND THEY STARTED DOING THESE STRANGE FORMATIONS, LIKE TRIANGULAR FORMATIONS, AND THEY WOULD, LIKE, BUNDLE TOGETHER, AND IT'S JUST-- I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. SO I QUICKLY GOT MY CAMERA, FILMED IT ALL. >> STEVE'S VIDEO SHOWS THE UNEXPLAINED FORMATION OF LIGHTS MOVING FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH THE NIGHT SKY. AS THEY MOVE, HOWEVER, A FOURTH LIGHT APPEARS. >> WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING AT IN YOUR VIEWFINDER, COULD YOU ALSO SEE THAT WITH YOUR NAKED EYE? >> NO. IT WAS FAR AWAY, BECAUSE I COULDN'T REALLY ZOOM THAT CLOSE INTO THEM BECAUSE OF MY CAMERA. SO THEY WERE VERY FAR AWAY. >> WHAT WAS THEIR TRAJECTORY? >> MOST OF THEM WENT ACROSS THE SKY. >> DID THEY EXHIBIT A SORT OF INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT? >> YEAH, IT'S LIKE THEY WERE-- IT'S LIKE THEY WERE, LIKE, TOGETHER, TALKING TO EACH OTHER OR SOMETHING. I DON'T KNOW. JUST DOING SOMETHING. THERE WAS DIFFERENT FORMATIONS. AND THEN THEY WOULD JUST DISAPPEAR. >> I HAVE TO SAY, THE FOOTAGE IS VERY INTERESTING. WE ARE LOOKING AT LIGHTS IN A FORMATION THAT ARE HOVERING OVER THE TOWN. NOW, BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE AND THE QUALITY OF THE CAMERA, I CAN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THESE LIGHTS WERE, BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IT SENT TO THE LAB AND HAVE TED ANALYZE THE FOOTAGE AND SEE WHAT HE CAN MAKE OF IT. >> STEVE TOOZER ISN'T THE ONLY PERSON PERPLEXED BY STRANGE OBJECTS IN THE BRITISH SKIES IN THE COMING MONTHS. JULY 28th, IN BARRY, 160 MILES WEST OF LONDON, RETIRED PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER ROGER WILLIAMS IS RELAXING IN HIS BACKYARD WHEN HE NOTICES SOMETHING FLASHING IN THE AFTERNOON SKY JUST ABOVE THE ROOF OF HIS HOUSE. >> WHAT I ACTUALLY SAW WAS SOME FLASHING IN THE SKY, A BRIGHT FLASHING. MY FIRST THOUGHT, THAT IT WAS AN AIRCRAFT TUMBLING. >> BUT THEN ROGER NOTICES THE OBJECT IS NOT LOSING ALTITUDE. THE SAUCER-SHAPED METAL OBJECT APPEARS TO BE SPINNING IN PLACE. >> SO YOU SAW THE OBJECT UP HERE, AND WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? >> WELL, I THOUGHT, AFTER I WATCHED IT FOR A SHORT WHILE, I DECIDED TO GO UPSTAIRS TO GET MY CAMERA. >> ROGER SNAPS THESE PICTURES FROM HIS BEDROOM WINDOW. HE PHOTOGRAPHS A SILVER-COLORED OBJECT AGAINST A CLEAR BLUE SKY. THE OBJECT IS BLURRY, BUT VISUAL PROCESSING SHOULD BE ABLE TO ENHANCE THE IMAGE TO GET A BETTER LOOK. ROGER ALSO CAPTURES A PASSING AIRPLANE, WHICH PROVIDES AN INSTANT VISUAL CONTRAST THAT WILL BE IMPORTANT IN FUTURE ANALYSIS. >> I REALIZED THAT THERE WERE NO WINGS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT WAS A SORT OF A DONUT SHAPE WITH REFLECTIONS AROUND THE EDGE. SO OBVIOUSLY, IT WASN'T A PLANE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. ROGER HAS AN UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW WHILE TAKING THE PHOTOS. >> ALL RIGHT. SO YOU HAD A GOOD PERSPECTIVE RIGHT OUTSIDE, AND YOU WEREN'T EVEN SHOOTING THROUGH GLASS. >> NO, NO. NO GLASS. JUST STRAIGHT THROUGH THERE. IT WAS UP IN THAT DIRECTION. >> AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU WERE STABILIZING YOUR HAND ON THE SIDE OF THE WINDOW. >> THAT'S RIGHT. >> ALL RIGHT. WELL, THOSE ARE GREAT SHOOTING CONDITIONS. >> AFTER TAKING THE PICTURES, ROGER IMMEDIATELY LOADS THEM INTO HIS COMPUTER FOR A BETTER LOOK. >> HOW MANY DID YOU TAKE ALTOGETHER? >> WELL, IT'S BASICALLY ABOUT 4 OR 5 SHOTS. >> AND YOU TOOK THOSE OVER A COURSE OF HOW MUCH TIME? >> JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES. >> THE SIMILAR FOCAL PLANES OF THE OBJECT AND THE AIRPLANE FLYING NEARBY PROVIDE IMPORTANT VISUAL INFORMATION. >> SO THIS IS A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION TO ME, BECAUSE IN THIS FRAME THAT HAS BOTH THE AIRCRAFT AND OUR OBJECT, THEY APPEAR TO BE IN RELATIVELY SIMILAR QUALITY OF FOCUS, SO THEY ARE PROBABLY AT SIMILAR DISTANCES. BUT I THINK IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT THE SETTINGS WERE FOR THE LENS. FROM THAT, WE SHOULD REALLY GET A SENSE OF THE DEPTH OF FOCUS. >> BY OBTAINING THE LENS SETTINGS AND APERTURE FROM ROGER, TED CAN NOW CONDUCT A COMPLETE PHOTO ANALYSIS TO SEE IF HE CAN IDENTIFY THIS SILVERY TUMBLING OBJECT. >> I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE I'VE SEEN YET. >> BUT STEVE TOOZER'S AND ROGER WILLIAMS' SIGHTINGS ARE JUST PAVING THE WAY FOR THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL EVENT OF THE SUMMER. ON JUNE 7, 2008, JUST OUTSIDE OF THE WELSH TOWN OF CARDIFF, A POLICE HELICOPTER, REPORTEDLY PREPARING TO LAND AT ST. ATHAN ROYAL AIR FORCE BASE, IS NEARLY STRUCK BY A UFO. TO MANY RESEARCHERS AND NEWS AGENCIES, THIS IS BRITAIN'S MOST COMPELLING UFO CASE IN YEARS. >> I'M MEETING WITH BRITISH UFOLOGIST ANDY RUSSELL. ANDY IS A SPECIALIST IN UFO SIGHTINGS HERE IN WALES. >> BILL MEETS WITH ANDY AT THE PERIMETER OF ST. ATHAN ROYAL AIR FORCE BASE, THE FOCAL POINT OF THE ENTIRE ENCOUNTER. >> THE WHOLE INCIDENT STARTED HERE, R.A.F. ST. ATHAN, EARLY HOURS ON THE EIGHTH OF JUNE, ALTHOUGH SOME WITNESSES HAVE SEEN A CRAFT AROUND THE AREA ON THE SEVENTH. WHEN THE HELICOPTER WAS COMING IN TO LAND, THE CREW NOTICED A SMALL UFO APPROACHING IT AT A HIGH SPEED. THE CREW TOOK EVASIVE ACTION. ORIGINALLY, SOUTH WALES POLICE CLAIMED THAT THE HELICOPTER CHASED THE UFO. WE'VE GOT WITNESSES IN CARDIFF AND ST. MELLONS AND A FEW OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE WITNESSED THAT CHASE. LATER, SOUTH WALES POLICE HAVE RETRACTED THAT STATEMENT AND SAID THAT THE CHASE NEVER TOOK PLACE. >> WHY WOULD THE POLICE CHANGE THEIR STORY? BILL HAS TRACKED DOWN A LEAD THAT MAY PROVE THE AUTHORITIES ARE INVOLVED IN A COVER-UP. >> WE FOUND A COMMERCIAL PILOT WHO WAS IN THAT AIRSPACE THAT NIGHT. HE WAS APPROACHING CARDIFF AIRPORT, AND THE TOWER RADIOED HIM AND SAID, "BE ADVISED. A POLICE HELICOPTER "IS TRACKING A UFO IN YOUR AIRSPACE." >> ONE PILOT'S CONFESSION MAY HELP PROVE THE AUTHORITIES GAVE CHASE TO A UFO. WHAT WERE THE POLICE FOLLOWING? AND WERE THEY TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH TECHNOLOGY WELL BEYOND THEIR OWN? >> THE OBJECT ACCELERATED 10 TIMES AS FAST AS A MILITARY JET. >> UFO HUNTERS ARE IN THE U.K. TO INVESTIGATE THE EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN THE SUMMER OF 2008. THEY ARE WORKING WITH LOCAL NEWS AGENCIES TO LOCATE CREDIBLE EYEWITNESSES. WITH NO VIDEO OR PICTURES KNOWN TO EXIST, THE CARDIFF HELICOPTER INCIDENT IS AT THE TOP OF THE INVESTIGATION'S MOST-WANTED LIST. BILL BIRNES IS CONTACTED BY A PILOT WHO SAYS HE WAS IN THE SKIES THE NIGHT OF THE INCIDENT, AND HE WAS ALERTED BY AIR-TRAFFIC CONTROL TO THE SITUATION. >> TODAY I'M MEETING WITH THE COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOT WHO WAS WARNED OUT OF CARDIFF AIRPORT AIRSPACE BY THE TOWER BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY WERE TRACKING A UFO AND A POLICE HELICOPTER. >> BUT AFTER SEVERAL HOURS, THE PILOT DOESN'T SHOW FOR HIS SCHEDULED INTERVIEW. >> ORIGINALLY, HE AGREED TO TALK WITH US AND TELL US THE ENTIRE STORY. THEN HE ABRUPTLY CANCELLED. HE WON'T RETURN OUR PHONE CALLS. >> HIS INITIAL E-MAILS SHOW HE IS EAGER TO PARTICIPATE, BUT AFTER THE MISSED INTERVIEW, A FINAL E-MAIL SHOWS HE HAS CHANGED HIS MIND ABOUT DISCUSSING THE CASE AND WON'T SAY WHY. WITH THE PILOT NOW OUT OF THE PICTURE, THE INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO LOCATE MORE EYEWITNESSES. PAT MEETS WITH ANDREW DAGNALL, A REPORTER FROM MEDIA WALES. ANDREW HAS ALSO EXPERIENCED EYEWITNESSES GOING SUDDENLY QUIET. FOR HIM, IT HAPPENED AFTER SPEAKING WITH SOURCES INSIDE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE HELICOPTER CHASE. >> A POLICEMAN WAS DRIVING A HELICOPTER AND SAID HE SAW WHAT HE SAID WAS A UFO AND CHASED THIS UFO OUT ACROSS THE EAST INTO THE BRISTOL CHANNEL, WHERE IT THEN DISAPPEARED. >> SO, HOW DID YOU COME BY THIS INFORMATION? >> THE POLICE ACTUALLY REPORTED THIS TO US. AND THAT'S WHAT MADE IT SO SIGNIFICANT, WAS THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY COMING FIRSTHAND FROM THE AUTHORITIES. >> ANDREW DAGNALL'S POLICE SOURCES CONFIRMED THAT ONE OF THEIR HELICOPTERS CHASED A UFO. BUT LATER AUTHORITIES OFFERED UP A CONTRARY STATEMENT. ACCORDING TO THE SOUTH WALES POLICE DEPARTMENT, QUOTE, "THERE WERE A VARIETY "OF AIRCRAFTS OF DIFFERENT "SHAPES AND SIZES. "IN ALL PROBABILITY, THIS "SIGHTING HAS JUST CONFIRMED "THAT ONE OF THESE WAS IN "THE AREA AT THE RELEVANT TIME. "THE HELICOPTER DID NOT "FOLLOW IT OR CHASE IT ACROSS THE BRISTOL CHANNEL." >> HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE POLICE OFFICERS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT? >> WE'VE NEVER ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO SPEAK TO HIM. THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR US TO PURSUE AS A STORY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING NOTHING BACK NOW FROM THE POLICE. >> THIS SEEMS TO BE VERY COMMON WITH THESE SIGHTINGS-- SOMETHING BIG HAPPENS, AND THEN THEY ATTEMPT TO COVER IT UP BASICALLY. I THINK WE'RE ONTO SOMETHING, THAT SOMETHING REALLY DID HAPPEN OVER CARDIFF, INVOLVING WHAT APPEARS TO BE A GENUINE UFO. >> BILL IS NOW SEEKING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE VARIOUS EVENTS TAKING PLACE THIS SUMMER. TO FURTHER UNDERSTAND WHAT MAY BE GOING ON, HE IS MEETING WITH NICK POPE, A FORMER MINISTRY OF DEFENSE INVESTIGATOR WHO WAS ASSIGNED TO UFO CASES BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. >> SO, WE HAVE A VIDEO THAT SOMEONE SHOT OF AN OBJECT OVER SOUTH WALES, AND I'D LIKE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND SEE IF YOU THINK THIS RESEMBLES ANYTHING LIKE THE DESCRIPTIONS THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED. >> I MEAN, IT'S A FASCINATING PIECE OF FOOTAGE. IT'S INTERESTING. MANY OF THE COSFORD WITNESSES TALKED ABOUT 2 LIGHTS, AND IT WAS ONLY LATER THAT SOME OF THEM, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO SAW IT REALLY CLOSE, NOTICED A THIRD AND FAINTER LIGHT, BUT, YEAH, THAT IS SIMILAR TO WHAT'S BEEN REPORTED AT COSFORD. >> THE COSFORD INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON MARCH 30th AND 31st IN 1993. IT INVOLVED OVER 100 WITNESSES WHO SAW 2 OR 3 LIGHTS ON WHAT THEY BELIEVED WAS A TRIANGULAR-SHAPED CRAFT. THE INCIDENT ENTANGLED 2 ROYAL AIR FORCE BASES-- COSFORD AND SHAWBURY. >> WHAT'S AT THESE BASES THAT WOULD INTEREST SOME KIND OF OTHER CRAFT? >> SHAWBURY IS SOMEWHERE WHERE HELICOPTER TRAINING IS UNDERTAKEN. COSFORD IS BASICALLY AN ENGINEERING BASE. SO IT'S A WIDE MIXTURE OF DIFFERENT ESTABLISHMENTS. >> THESE AREN'T JUST UFO SIGHTINGS, HOWEVER. THESE ARE CRAFT THAT ACTUALLY GO OVER THE BASE. THEY HOVER OVER THE BASE. THEY LINGER OVER THE BASE. >> MORE THAN THAT, IN RELATION TO THE COSFORD INCIDENT, ONE OF THE AIR FORCE WITNESSES TOLD ME THAT THE OBJECT ACCELERATED AWAY PROBABLY 10 TIMES AS FAST AS A MILITARY JET. IT'S NOT JUST LIGHTS IN THE SKY. WHEN IT COMES TO SIGHTINGS AT MILITARY ESTABLISHMENTS, WHATEVER THIS PHENOMENON IS DOES SEEM TO BE PAYING PARTICULAR ATTENTION. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THESE THINGS ARE, BUT THEY'RE IN OUR AIRSPACE AND WE WANT TO KNOW. >> THOUGH IT MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW WHY THESE SIGHTINGS ARE HAPPENING, WITNESSES CONTINUE TO BE AMAZED AT WHAT THEY ARE SEEING. LOCAL MEDIA ASSISTANCE HAS HELPED UNCOVER AN EYEWITNESS WHO SAW THE CARDIFF HELICOPTER EVENT ON THE NIGHT OF JUNE 7th. SOMETIME AFTER MIDNIGHT, AMANDA BERRY IS IN HER KITCHEN, PREPARING TO TURN IN FOR THE EVENING BUT SOON REALIZES HER NIGHT IS JUST BEGINNING. >> WELL, I WAS BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, SORT OF WASHING DISHES, DOING NORMAL, YOU KNOW, JUST USUAL THINGS, WORKING ON MY COMPUTER. YOU KNOW, I LOOKED OUT OF THE WINDOW, AND I BASICALLY SAW THIS LIGHT, SORT OF AN ORANGEY SORT OF LIGHT. >> AMANDA WATCHES AS A HELICOPTER EMERGES BEHIND THE STRANGE LIGHT. TO HER, IT APPEARS TO BE FOLLOWING OR CHASING THE OBJECT. >> WHAT DREW YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS THING? WHAT WAS UNUSUAL ABOUT IT? >> IT WAS FLYING QUITE QUICKLY, BUT IT WAS SORT OF FLYING IN A VERY SMOOTH WAY, WHICH YOU WOULDN'T--I MEAN, IN A SORT OF BROAD ARC. >> ACCORDING TO AMANDA, IT IS ABLE TO EVADE THE HELICOPTER WITH RELATIVE EASE. >> DID IT APPEAR THAT THIS THING WAS MOVING FASTER THAN THE HELICOPTER? >> YES, IT DID. I WAS GETTING THE IMPRESSION THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS KIND OF STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH IT, AND IT SEEMED TO BE FLYING ALONG QUITE EFFORTLESSLY REALLY. I MEAN, IT WAS ALMOST LIKE AS IF IT WAS TEASING THE HELICOPTER, YOU KNOW. >> AMANDA'S DESCRIPTION MATCHES WHAT MANY LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS REPORTED HEARING FROM OTHER WITNESSES. BUT SKEPTICS DISMISS THIS SIGHTING, CLAIMING IT IS SOMETHING FAR MORE PROSAIC, A SIMPLE PAPER BALLOON KNOWN AS A CHINESE FIRE LANTERN. CHINESE FIRE LANTERNS ARE OFTEN USED IN CELEBRATIONS SUCH AS WEDDINGS, BIRTHDAYS, AND CONCERTS ACROSS THE UNITED KINGDOM. IN FACT, FIRE LANTERNS WERE LAUNCHED THE NIGHT OF THE SIGHTING AT A WEDDING IN THE TOWN OF COWBRIDGE, ONLY 5 MILES FROM THE ST. ATHAN BASE. >> THIS CARDIFF CASE, GUYS, IS REALLY PERPLEXING. ON THE ONE HAND, YOU'VE GOT THE NEWSPAPERS REPORTING THIS AS A BANNER HEADLINE. THE POLICE ADMIT THAT THEIR HELICOPTER ENCOUNTERED A UFO. THEN THE POLICE PULL BACK AND SAY, "OH, NO. NOBODY CAN TALK TO YOU." >> WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE TRYING TO DOWNPLAY THE INCIDENT, BUT ACCORDING TO SOME OF THE ACTUAL EYEWITNESSES, THEY'VE REPORTED THAT THEY ACTUALLY SAW THE HELICOPTER CHASING AN OBJECT. >> THE POLICE GAVE THIS EXPLANATION THAT THIS WAS FIRE LANTERNS. I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY DEVISE SOME KIND OF EXPERIMENT TO EITHER PROVE OR DISPROVE THAT THEORY. >> TO PUT THIS THEORY TO THE TEST, AMANDA HAS AGREED TO OBSERVE A SERIES OF FIRE LANTERNS AND SEE IF THEY APPEAR ANYTHING LIKE WHAT SHE WITNESSED ON THE NIGHT OF JUNE 7th. WITH AN EYEWITNESS AT THE READY, THE EXPERIMENT IS SET FOR LAUNCH. ARE POLICE IGNORING A CASE OF SIMPLE MISIDENTIFICATION, OR ARE THEY REFUSING TO COME FORWARD BECAUSE OF A UFO INCIDENT AT A ROYAL AIR FORCE BASE? THESE FIRE LANTERNS ARE CANDLE-POWERED MINIATURES OF HOT-AIR BALLOONS, AND THEY'RE FREQUENTLY MISTAKEN FOR UFO's. >> WE HAVE AMANDA'S TESTIMONY THAT SHE ACTUALLY SAW THIS THING. SHE SAW A VERY STRANGE OBJECT FLYING IN A VERY PECULIAR FASHION THAT WAS BEING CHASED BY THIS HELICOPTER, MOVING FASTER THAN THE HELICOPTER. NOW, AFTER THIS HUGE INCIDENT, THERE WERE REPORTS THAT THIS WAS ALL THE RESULT OF JUST CHINESE FIRE LANTERNS. SO WE'RE HERE NOW TO PUT THAT TO THE TEST. >> AMANDA SAW THE OBJECT APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS FROM HER HOUSE. TO ACCURATELY RE-CREATE HER LINE OF SIGHT, BILL AND TED LAUNCH A FIRE LANTERN FROM A SEPARATE POSITION 300 YARDS FROM AMANDA AND PAT. >> I'M DOWN HERE AT BASE ONE WITH BILL. HE AND I WILL BE RELEASING IT FROM HERE. DOWN THIS WAY AT ABOUT 300 YARDS IS BASE 2. THAT'S PAT AND OUR WITNESS. THEY'RE IN POSITION AND READY TO VIEW OUR RELEASE OF THE LANTERN. >> WHAT WE REALLY WANT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT DOES THIS THING LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THE OBJECT THAT YOU SAW ON JUNE 8th? >> OK. WE'RE GOING TO LET OFF THE LANTERN. EYES IN THE SKY. >> GO. >> OK. WE HAVE LIFTOFF. >> COPY THAT. WE SEE IT. WELL, AMANDA, DO YOU SEE IT? >> YEAH. >> DOES IT LOOK ANYTHING LIKE WHAT YOU SAW? >> IT'S A LOT SMALLER THAN WHAT I SAW, AND EVEN AT A LOW ALTITUDE, THEY'RE SMALL. WELL, EVEN THE LIGHTS ON THE HELICOPTER I SAW WERE... YOU KNOW, THEY WERE DIMMER THAN THE LIGHTS ON THE OTHER CRAFT. YOU COULD SEE THAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, ELECTRIC LIGHTS. >> THEY WERE INTENSE? THESE LIGHTS HAD INTENSITY? >> YEAH, YEAH. >> AND THIS WAS MORE OF A FLICKERING CANDLE OR LIKE A CAMPFIRE? >> BASICALLY, IT JUST DIDN'T LOOK THE SAME AT ALL REALLY, YOU KNOW. >> I THINK YOU'VE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THIS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU SAW THAT NIGHT. >> YEAH. >> TED, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'VE PRETTY MUCH CONCLUDED THAT WHAT WE'VE LAUNCHED HERE THIS EVENING DOESN'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE WHAT AMANDA SAW THAT NIGHT. >> OK, PAT. ROGER THAT. >> THERE IS ALSO METEOROLOGICAL EVIDENCE THAT CASTS DOUBT ON THE THEORY THAT THESE WERE FIRE LANTERNS LAUNCHED FROM A WEDDING IN THE TOWN OF COWBRIDGE. >> COWBRIDGE IS ABOUT 13 MILES TO THE WEST OF CARDIFF, AND THE WINDS THAT NIGHT-- WE LOOKED AT THE METEOROLOGICAL DATA--ARE COMING BASICALLY OUT OF THE NORTH. NOW, IF A FIRE LANTERN WAS LAUNCHED OVER COWBRIDGE AND CLIMBED UP TO 2,000 FEET, IT WOULD BE TRAVELING IN THIS DIRECTION, AND THAT IS THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM CARDIFF. SO WE'VE GOT A BALLOON THAT'S LAUNCHED 13 MILES AWAY, TRAVELING BASICALLY AWAY FROM CARDIFF. HOW COULD THAT EVER HAVE BEEN SIGHTED OVER CARDIFF? IT JUST DOESN'T ADD UP. >> SO, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT'S LOOKING INCREASINGLY LIKE WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER EXPLANATION, AND THAT EXPLANATION MIGHT VERY WELL BE IT'S A UFO. >> WHILE ONE EXPERIMENT HAS HELPED ELIMINATE A CONVENTIONAL EXPLANATION, THE PHOTOS AND VIDEO FROM ROGER WILLIAMS AND STEVE TOOZER MAY PROVIDE EVEN MORE EVIDENCE. ARE THESE SIMILAR OBJECTS TO WHAT THE HELICOPTER PURSUED THAT NIGHT? TED AND IMAGE ANALYST TERRENCE MASSON LOOK FOR ANY DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS IN THE EVIDENCE. >> NOW, THE ROGER WILLIAMS PHOTOS, I'M REALLY HOPEFUL. FOR ONCE WE ACTUALLY HAVE A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING A PICTURE OF AN OBJECT. I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN GET SOMETHING REALLY DEFINITIVE OUT OF THIS. >> ROGER TURNS HIS 35-MILIMETER CAMERA SKYWARD AND CAPTURES 6 IMAGES OF A STRANGE DISK-SHAPED OBJECT THAT HE AT FIRST THINKS IS TUMBLING BUT THEN REALIZES IS HOVERING IN PLACE. >> IF WE COULD DO A SEQUENTIAL VIEWING OF EACH OF-- OF THE OBJECT ZOOMED IN AND TAKE OUT THE MOTION, WE COULD SEE HOW IT LOOKS OVER THE COURSE OF THOSE FRAMES. >> WHAT WE DID WAS SEVERAL THINGS. ABLE TO ISOLATE SOME MOTION BLUR OUT OF IT AND DO SOME SHARPENING AND CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT AND ACTUALLY OVERLAY AND SEQUENTIALLY ANALYZE THOSE 6 PHOTOGRAPHS ONE ON TOP OF ANOTHER. >> TO ME, THIS IS PRETTY WILD. >> YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY CHANGING SHAPE. >> TO ME, IT LOOKS METALLIC. IT LOOKS VERY CLEARLY SILVER, LIKE AN AIRCRAFT BODY ALUMINUM SKIN, BUT NOTHING AT ALL LIKE THE SHAPE OF AN AIRCRAFT. WHAT WE SEE VERY DEFINITIVELY IS IT'S ROUGHLY DONUT-SHAPED, A SAUCER SHAPE IF YOU WILL, AND IT'S VERY CLEARLY, OVER THE COURSE OF THAT SHORT MINUTE IN THESE 6 PHOTOGRAPHS THAT IT'S EITHER TUMBLING OR PHYSICALLY CHANGING SHAPE. >> IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T LOOK LIKE ANY KIND OF WINGS OR A HELICOPTER. IT DEFINITELY DOESN'T FIT ANY OF OUR CONVENTIONAL AIRCRAFT PROFILE. >> THE FACT THAT THIS METALLIC, SHINY OBJECT IS HOVERING OUT THERE IN SPACE OVER THE COURSE OF A MINUTE AND CHANGING SHAPE OR ROTATING IN PLACE IS VERY, VERY PUZZLING. >> BUT STEVE TOOZER'S FOOTAGE SHOWS SOMETHING ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT. THE FOOTAGE IS REMARKABLY SIMILAR TO ANOTHER INCIDENT THAT'S ALREADY BEEN CLOSELY ANALYZED. >> IT REMINDS ME A BIT OF THE TINLEY PARK VIDEO IN THAT THERE'S THAT FORMATION. ON AUGUST 21, 2004, HUNDREDS IN THE SMALL TOWN OF TINLEY PARK, ILLINOIS, VIEWED 3 ORANGE GLOBES FLOATING ABOVE THEIR CITY. THE VIDEO ANALYSIS SEEMS TO SHOW THAT ALL 3 LIGHTS ARE CONNECTED. >> IT DOES LOOK LIKE THE OTHER 2 TRAILING POINTS ARE LOCKED TO THAT THIRD POINT. >> BUT MOST SHOCKING IS THE SIZE OF THE OBJECT. >> I THINK 1,500 IS A PRETTY GOOD ESTIMATE, PLUS OR MINUS A COUPLE, FEW HUNDRED FEET. >> AND I DON'T KNOW ANY STRUCTURE THAT YOU COULD FLY THAT COULD HOLD LIGHTS 1,500 FEET APART. >> TED AND TERRENCE BELIEVE THE TINLEY PARK LIGHTS TO BE A MASSIVE SINGLE TRIANGULAR OBJECT. THOUGH IT DOES SHOW A FOURTH LIGHT, THE OBJECT STEVE TOOZER CAPTURED IS SIMILAR. >> IT MAKES ME CURIOUS WHETHER OR NOT THESE LIGHTS ARE PART OF A LARGER STRUCTURE. >> ALL RIGHT. SO WE SEE HERE THE STABILIZED FOOTAGE. THE LIGHT ON THE LEFT IS THE ONE THAT I ACTUALLY PINNED. AND AGAIN, SIMILAR TO TINLEY PARK, TO MY EYE, IT'S PRETTY STABLE. >> TO THE NAKED EYE, THEY DO SEEM ABOUT THE SAME POSITION. IT REALLY DOES SEEM TO BE THE STRUCTURE LOCKED TOGETHER WHERE IT'S DOING SOME SORT OF A ROTATION. SO WHAT TERRENCE'S ANALYSIS IS TELLING US IS THAT THESE 4 POINT SOURCES ARE CLEARLY LOCKED TOGETHER IN FORMATION, BUT IT'S A VERY SOPHISTICATED FORMATION, WHERE THEY'RE NOT JUST HOVERING TOGETHER, BUT THEY'RE ROTATING EN MASSE AS ONE OBJECT. IT REALLY LEAVES ME WONDERING WHAT THIS COULD BE. >> THE LATEST WAVE OF UFO SIGHTINGS OVER THE UNITED KINGDOM HAS SEEN STRANGE TRIANGLES, BIZARRE SILVERY OBJECTS, AND A HELICOPTER PURSUIT OVER THE BRISTOL CHANNEL. BUT THE MOST UNIQUE CASE MIGHT INVOLVE A UFO AND A TORNADO. MELANIE WALLWORK, OF THE "LANCASHIRE EVENING POST," RECEIVED THIS PHOTO DAYS AFTER IT WAS TAKEN. >> WELL, YES, I THOUGHT IT WAS CERTAINLY VERY INTERESTING. IT WAS CRAZY ENOUGH THAT THERE WAS THE FUNNEL CLOUD IN LANCASHIRE FOR A START, NEVER MIND NOW WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS THING NEXT TO IT THAT NO ONE WAS, YOU KNOW, TOO SURE WHAT IT WAS. >> BUT MORE COMPELLING FOR MEL IS THE AMOUNT OF SIGHTINGS IN THE AREA, ESPECIALLY THIS SUMMER. >> DID THE SIGHTINGS TEND TO COME TOGETHER IN CERTAIN MONTHS OF THE YEAR? >> THERE CERTAINLY HAS BEEN A LOT OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, OBVIOUSLY THE SUMMER MONTHS. WELL, LANCASHIRE IS A HOT SPOT. >> THOUGH MEL RECEIVED MANY CALLS AND MANY REPORTS, NONE HAD THE EVIDENCE THAT PAT REGAN DID WHEN HE SNAPPED HIS PHOTOGRAPH. JULY 6, 2008--PAT REGAN IS ON A NORMAL AFTERNOON EXCURSION WITH HIS DAUGHTER JASMINE IN LANCASHIRE. HE TAKES THIS PHOTO WHEN HE SEES THE TORNADO FORMING IN THE DISTANCE. WHEN HE ARRIVES HOME, HE DOWNLOADS IT TO HIS COMPUTER FOR A BETTER LOOK. AT FIRST, IT JUST SEEMS TO BE A PICTURE OF THE NEARBY TORNADO, BUT ON CLOSER EXAMINATION, PAT DISCOVERS IT CONTAINS SOMETHING EVEN MORE INTRIGUING. TED AND PAT HEAD OUT TO MEET PAT REGAN AND HIS DAUGHTER JASMINE AT THE EXACT SPOT OF THEIR SIGHTING-- THE RUFFORD CANAL. >> IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE WE COULD HAVE ANOTHER TORNADO AGAIN TODAY. >> YEAH. ARE THESE SIMILAR CONDITIONS NOW TO THE DAY YOU HAD THE SIGHTING? >> IT'S A LITTLE BIT COOLER THAN WHEN WE SAW THE TORNADO. THERE WAS BLUE SKY LIKE THIS, BUT IT WAS ALSO QUITE THUNDERY. >> SO JASMINE FIRST SPOTTED THE TWISTER AROUND HERE? >> JASMINE WAS PLAYING THERE, AND I HEARD HER SAYING, "DADDY! DADDY! THERE'S A TWISTER! THERE'S A TWISTER!" >> CONCERNED AT FIRST, PAT REALIZES THAT THE FUNNEL CLOUD IS FAR ENOUGH IN THE DISTANCE TO TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH. HE SEIZES THE OPPORTUNITY. BUT HE REALIZES HE CAPTURES SOMETHING EVEN STRANGER WHEN HE ARRIVES HOME. >> THERE WAS A SPECK IN ONE OF THE PICTURES, AND THIS IS THE SPECK THAT EVERYBODY HAS SAID, "WHAT IS THAT?" >> PAT ENHANCES THE PHOTOGRAPH. IN WHAT SEEMS TO BE CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE TORNADO, HE SEES A STRANGE GREENISH DISK-SHAPED OBJECT. >> WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. WE SAID, "WELL, COULD IT BE "SOMETHING FROM THE TWISTER? COULD IT BE AN AIRCRAFT?" BUT ALL THESE SEEMED TO BE IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANYTHING LIKE THAT. >> SO YOU DIDN'T SEE THE UFO THAT DAY? >> NO, WE DIDN'T. WELL, WE SAW IT, BUT WE DIDN'T REGISTER IT IN OUR BRAINS. IT WAS THERE BECAUSE IT WAS ON THE PICTURE, YOU KNOW. WE ONLY NOTICED LATER ON. >> DO YOU KNOW IF THE TWISTER CAUSED ANY DAMAGE? >> DIDN'T GET THE FEELING IT WAS GOING TO DO ANY DAMAGE, BUT IT ONLY SEEMED TO BE PEAKING DOWNWARDS SOME DISTANCE FROM ACTUALLY EARTH. >> IT WASN'T TOUCHING DOWN? >> IT DIDN'T SEEM TO BE. >> WHEN YOU WERE WATCHING IT, DID YOU SEE ANY DEBRIS GETTING KICKED UP AT THE BASE? >> NO, WE DIDN'T. >> IF THE TORNADO DIDN'T TOUCH DOWN, IT PROBABLY COULDN'T HAVE PICKED UP SOMETHING LARGE ENOUGH TO BE THE OBJECT IN THE PICTURE. >> WHAT SEEMS STRANGE TO ME IS THAT WE HAVE A SIGHTING OF SOME UNKNOWN OBJECT ASSOCIATED WITH A STRANGE METEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENON, AND APPARENTLY THE OBJECT WAS VERY, VERY CLOSE NEAR THIS TWISTER. ARE THOSE RELATED? IS THERE SOME CAUSE AND EFFECT? I'M NOT SURE, BUT I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT. >> BUT WITH SO MANY UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS BEING SEEN THIS SUMMER, MANY ARE ASKING WHY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ISN'T SERIOUSLY INVESTIGATING THIS UFO WAVE. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS UPHELD THE IMPORTANCE OF UFO INVESTIGATION FOR YEARS AND RECENTLY DECLASSIFIED THE LARGEST NUMBER OF UFO INVESTIGATIONS IN THIS COUNTRY'S HISTORY. THESE FILES CONTAIN DETAILS OF HUNDREDS OF SIGHTINGS OF STRANGE LIGHTS AND OBJECTS IN THE SKY FROM 1978 TO 1992. NICK POPE, WHO LED THE UFO PROJECT AT THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE UNTIL 2006, EXAMINED MANY OF THESE CASES, SOME OF WHICH REMAIN UNSOLVED. >> THE AMOUNT OF RECORDS THAT THE M.O.D. HAS ON UFO's MUST BE VOLUMINOUS. >> OH, ABSOLUTELY, YES. WE'VE HAD OVER 11,000 UFO REPORTS INVESTIGATED SINCE THE EARLY FIFTIES, AND OF COURSE, ALL THESE CASES NOW ARE BEGINNING TO COME OUT WITH THE RELEASE OF THE M.O.D.'S UFO FILES, WHICH HAS STARTED THIS YEAR. >> THE RELEASE OF THE FILES HAS COINCIDED WITH ONE OF THE BIGGEST WAVES OF SIGHTINGS IN THE COUNTRY'S ENTIRE HISTORY. >> AND SO THE M.O.D. MUST BE REALLY FRANTIC OVER WHAT YOU CALLED IN "THE NEW YORK TIMES" BRITAIN'S SUMMER OF THE SAUCERS. >> YES, IT IS. >> BUT DESPITE WHAT SEEMS LIKE TRANSPARENCY, LITTLE INFORMATION ON THESE NEWEST SIGHTINGS IS BEING DISCUSSED. >> PEOPLE ARE USING THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT TO GO AFTER THE RECORDS, AND THEY'RE NOT REALLY FINDING THEM. NOW, I HAVE A THEORY ABOUT THIS. I MEAN, A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE M.O.D., SOMEBODY SAID TO ME WORDS TO THE EFFECT OF, "OH, WELL, I'M JUST GOING TO "WRITE TO THIS PERSON ABOUT THIS," AND I SAID, "NO, NO, DON'T DO THAT. YOU'LL CREATE A PAPER TRAIL." >> AND IF THERE IS NO PAPER TRAIL, THEN OFFICIALLY RELEASED DOCUMENTS AREN'T TELLING THE WHOLE STORY. >> SO WHEN PEOPLE TRY TO RESEARCH CASES LIKE CARDIFF TODAY, YOU'RE ACTUALLY PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO PAPER TRAIL ON CARDIFF. >> WELL, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S MY PERSONAL FAULT. IT WAS JUST THE CULTURE OF, ON SENSITIVE ISSUES, WE WERE AWARE OF F.O.I. AND SOMETIMES DID WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL A WORKAROUND, AS IT WERE. >> COULD THE M.O.D.'S RELEASE OF THE CLASSIFIED FILES JUST BE A SMOKE SCREEN FOR THEIR CURRENT UFO INVESTIGATIONS? >> YOU CAN GUARANTEE THAT EVEN IF THERE IS NO PAPER TRAIL, THE M.O.D. IS WELL AWARE OF THESE CASES AND INVESTIGATING. >> WITH SOLID METEOROLOGICAL DATA, FIELD PERSPECTIVE, AND A PHOTOGRAPH, THIS MAY BE THE INVESTIGATION'S BEST CHANCE OF DETERMINING WHAT'S IN THE SKIES OVER BRITAIN IN THE SUMMER OF 2008. >> I'M AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER AT THE CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES. I'M ABOUT TO MEET WITH DR. GRANT ALLEN, WHO'S AN EXPERT WITH TORNADOES AND TWISTERS. I'M HOPING THAT DR. ALLEN CAN GIVE ME SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE TORNADO THAT I CAN USE WHEN I GET INTO THE DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING. >> THIS PARTICULAR TORNADO WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS A VERY, VERY WEAK TORNADO WITH WIND SPEEDS, I WOULD SAY, PROBABLY LESS THAN... LESS THAN 80 MILES AN HOUR AT THE VORTEX EDGE. >> DOES IT LOOK TO YOU LIKE THIS HAS TOUCHED DOWN? >> I WOULDN'T SAY SO. NORMALLY, WHEN A TORNADO FORMS AT THE TOP OF A CLOUD, YOU GET A THICKER AREA, AND THAT TAPERS OFF AS IT DESCENDS. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT. >> ONE QUESTION STANDS OUT-- IS THIS OBJECT JUST A PIECE OF DEBRIS PICKED UP OFF THE GROUND AND TOSSED OUT BY THE TORNADO? DR. ALLEN WORKED UP AN ESTIMATE ON THE STRENGTH OF THE TORNADO, DETAILING THE FORCE NEEDED. >> THE MAXIMUM VELOCITY AROUND THE EDGES OF THE FUNNEL WAS ABOUT 80 MILES PER HOUR, THAT AS LITTLE AS 10 METERS AWAY IT COULD BE HALF THAT VELOCITY. SO WE KNOW THAT THE VELOCITY OF THE AIR AROUND THIS FUNNEL IS DROPPING OFF VERY SIGNIFICANTLY, AND OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD TAKE VERY STRONG WINDS TO KEEP SOME SORT OF DEBRIS OR OBJECT UP IN THE AIR. >> IF THE TORNADO HAD TOUCHED DOWN AND IF THAT'S A RELATIVELY LARGE PIECE OF DEBRIS THAT'S LEFT OVER, I WOULD EXPECT TO SEE MORE EVIDENCE OF DEBRIS, EITHER AROUND THE TORNADO OR OFF THIS PICTURE MAYBE. >> WE'VE LOOKED VERY CLOSELY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FRAME, AND THAT'S REALLY THE ONE AND ONLY PIECE OF DEBRIS THAT WE'RE SEEING, AND IT SEEMS TO BE ABOUT HALFWAY UP THE FUNNEL. >> IN NONE OF THOSE PHOTOGRAPHS HAS THE TORNADO BEEN ANYWHERE NEAR THE GROUND. SO MY HUNCH IS THAT THAT IS NOT DEBRIS. >> WITH THIS STAGE OF THE ANALYSIS COMPLETE, TED TURNS BACK TO IMAGE PROCESSING TO DETERMINE THE SIZE, SPEED, OR DISTANCE FROM THE CAMERA TO THE OBJECT. >> THE QUESTION HERE IS WHAT'S THE OBJECT-- YOU KNOW, AN AIRCRAFT, A BIRD, AN INSECT? CAN WE GET OUR HANDS AROUND THIS IN ANY WAY? >> MY FIRST IMPRESSION IS THAT IT IS SOMETHING OF MEDIUM SIZE AT A PRETTY GOOD DISTANCE. >> I AM SEEING WHAT LOOKS TO ME LIKE MOTION BLUR ON THE OBJECT. >> MOTION BLUR HAPPENS WHEN THE OBJECT BEING PHOTOGRAPHED MOVES FASTER THAN THE CAMERA AND FILM'S ABILITY TO CAPTURE CLEANLY. IT IS USUALLY AFFECTED BY THE CAMERA'S SHUTTER SPEED. >> LET'S LOOK UP THE SHUTTER SPEED. 5/1,000ths. >> RIGHT. SO THAT'S REALLY FAST. >> SHUTTER SPEED ON A CAMERA DICTATES WHETHER THE PHOTO IS SHARP OR BLURRY. PAT REGAN'S CAMERA SHUTTER WAS SET TO OPEN AND CLOSE AT 1/5,000th OF A SECOND. THIS EXTREMELY FAST SPEED CLEARLY CAPTURES THE ESTIMATED 80-MILE-PER-HOUR WINDS OF THE TORNADO BUT NOT THE ALLEGED UFO. >> IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD HAVE TO MOVE PRETTY FAST IN THAT VERY FAST EXPOSURE TIME TO STILL BE BLURRY, BECAUSE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WAS MOVING AT ANY KIND OF RELATIVE SPEED, EVEN 80 MILES PER HOUR, A FAST CAR, I WOULD EXPECT THAT TO BE CRYSTAL-CLEAR AT THAT SHUTTER SPEED. THAT'S REALLY FAST. >> THAT'S A GOOD POINT. >> FURTHER ANALYSIS SHOWS THE OBJECT MOVING A THIRD OF IT'S LENGTH IN THE 5/1,000ths OF A SECOND NEEDED TO TAKE THE PHOTOGRAPH. BUT ITS EXACT SIZE CANNOT BE DETERMINED. >> DO WE KNOW THAT IT'S A PHYSICAL OBJECT? >> I WOULD SAY DEFINITIVELY YES. YOU CAN SEE THE VERY DARK UNDERSHADOWING ON THE FOREGROUND OBJECTS, AND IF WE ZOOM IN TO THIS THING HERE, WE CAN SEE ALSO IT'S KIND OF MORE LIGHT ON TOP, DARKER UNDERNEATH. SO THERE IS SOMETHING PHYSICAL IN FRAME. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S ADDED AFTER THE FACT OR VERY CLOSE TO CAMERA. >> RIGHT. >> NO DEBRIS IN THIS AREA IS TO BE EXPECTED, AND YET THERE'S THIS LARGE OBJECT IN THERE TRAVELING AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED RIGHT NEXT TO THE TORNADO. IT'S VERY CURIOUS. THERE'S A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS. >> A MYSTERIOUS FLYING TRIANGLE, A METALLIC SPHERE SHOT BY A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER, A LARGE FAST OBJECT THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE ANY KNOWN CRAFT APPROACHING A TORNADO. >> THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY FRUITFUL TRIP. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO COLLECT WHAT, IN MY IMPRESSION, HAS BEEN SOME OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE I'VE EVER SEEN. >> FROM CONDUCTING OUR OWN EXPERIMENTS, I'M OF THE OPINION THAT THERE ACTUALLY WAS SOME KIND OF UNUSUAL OBJECT THAT INTERACTED WITH THIS HELICOPTER. >> WE FOUND THAT EVEN THOUGH THE M.O.D. IS RELEASING ITS FILES, IT'S STILL KEEPING MUM ABOUT CASES. WE'RE LEFT WITH THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE WILL UNCOVER THE PIECE OF THREAD THAT WILL UNRAVEL THE WHOLE SECRET AND FINALLY REVEAL THE TRUTH. >> BUT EVEN AS THE SUMMER DRAWS TO A CLOSE, THE EVENTS CONTINUE. SEPTEMBER 7th, JUST OUTSIDE OF SOUTHPORT, NEAR PAT REGAN'S SIGHTING OF THE TORNADO OBJECT, RESIDENTS FLOOD EMERGENCY SERVICES WITH REPORTS OF A BLAZING OBJECT FALLING OUT OF THE SKY. SEPTEMBER 13th IN BRISTOL, NEAR THE CARDIFF HELICOPTER INCIDENT, 5 BRIGHT ORANGE LIGHTS CIRCLE THE NIGHT SKY. AND SEPTEMBER 22nd, REPORTS OF TRIANGULAR LIGHTS POUR IN FROM THE TOWNS OF ROWES, JOHNSTOWN, AND BORRIS... AS EVENTS ESCALATE AND WITH MORE AND MORE WITNESSES, THE TRUTH MAY BE JUST A SIGHTING AWAY.
