Tasmania’s UFO Mystery
by Luke Scott
Next month will mark the 30th anniversary of one of the State’s most bizarre aviation mysteries.
On Saturday, October 21, 1978, pilot Frederick Valentich took off from Victoria’s Moorabin Airport in his single-engined Cessna 182, bound for King Island.
It was about 6:15pm, and conditions were ideal for flying, with fine weather, a mild north-westerly breeze and almost unlimited visibility.
But Valentich never made it.
No trace of the 20-year-old volunteer flight instructor or his aircraft was ever found, but the manner of his disappearance has fuelled speculation by UFO buffs for nearly three decades.
Some say Mr Valentich was abducted by aliens, some that his aircraft simply crashed into Bass Strait, some that he faked his disappearance and started a new life somewhere else.
The extraordinary conversation Mr Valentich had over the radio with Melbourne Flight Service flight controller Steve Robey in the moments before he disappeared has gone down in UFO folklore.
According to The Examiner’s original report of the incident, Mr Valentich radioed Melbourne at 7:06pm, after passing Cape Otway, asking if there was any known traffic in the area below 1600m.
The flight controller replied that there was no known traffic in that area.
Mr Valentich radioed again to say there appeared to be a “large aircraft” below 1600m.
Mr Robey asked Mr Valentich about the type of aircraft he could see.
“I cannot confirm,” Mr Valentich replied.
“It has four bright lights that appear to be landing lights. The aircraft has passed over me.”
At 7:08pm, Mr Valentich radioed Mr Robey at Melbourne Flight Services again, saying the unidentified aircraft was flying towards him.
“It seems to me to be playing some sort of game,” he reported.
“It’s flying at speed I cannot estimate.”
Moments later, Mr Valentich was asked how large the mystery aircraft appeared to be.
“It seems to be stationary,” Mr Valentich answered.
“I’m orbiting and the thing is orbiting on top of me also. It has a green light and a sort of metallic light on the outside.”
A few seconds later, the pilot radioed to say the object had vanished.
At 7:12pm, Mr Valentich reported that his engine was coughing and rough idling.
He said that he was continuing to King Island, then added: “Unknown aircraft hovering on top of me.”
This was followed by a series of metallic noises and contact with Mr Valentich was lost.
It was estimated Mr Valentich’s Cessna would have been about half way between Cape Otway and King Island when it disappeared.
Six aircraft and a team of boats scoured about 7000sq.km from Cape Otway to King Island searching for the missing pilot.
The search was called off four days after Mr Valentich disappeared.
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