The Helicopter That Was Lifted

On October 18, 1973, an Army Reserve helicopter was pulled skyward by a UFO over Ohio. Captain Lawrence Coyne and his crew experienced loss of aircraft control as a massive craft rose with them. One of the most credible military UFO encounters.

The Flight

October 18, 1973:

• UH-1H Huey
• Army Reserve
• Columbus to Cleveland
• Night flight
• 4 crew members

The Crew

Who was aboard:

• Captain Lawrence Coyne (pilot)
• 1st Lt. Arrigo Jezzi (co-pilot)
• Sgt. John Healey
• Spec. 5 Robert Yanacsek
• All military

First Contact

The approach:

• Red light seen
• Closing fast
• From east
• Yanacsek spotted it
• Collision course

Evasive Action

Coyne’s response:

• Dove helicopter
• 1,700 feet descent
• Radio calls failed
• Frequencies dead
• Rapid descent

The Object

What appeared:

• Cigar shaped
• 60 feet long
• Grey metallic
• Red light front
• White light rear

The Hover

Critical moment:

• Object stopped
• Above helicopter
• Green light beam
• Bathed cockpit
• Filled interior

The Lift

Impossible event:

• Collective still down
• Helicopter ascending
• 1,000 feet per minute
• Coyne not controlling
• Being lifted

The Altitude

What happened:

• Started at 1,700 feet
• Rose to 3,800 feet
• Without pilot input
• Controls ineffective
• Something else flying

The Departure

Object left:

• Accelerated west
• Tremendous speed
• Green light trailing
• Then gone
• Controls returned

Ground Witnesses

Independent confirmation:

• Family in car below
• Saw helicopter
• Saw object
• Saw green light
• Corroborated

The Report

Official documentation:

• FAA notified
• Army report filed
• Detailed accounts
• Professional pilots
• Unexplained

Coyne’s Credibility

Why believable:

• Military captain
• 19 years experience
• Three other witnesses
• Ground confirmation
• No motive to lie

Scientific Interest

Analysis:

• J. Allen Hynek studied
• One of best cases
• Physical effects
• Multiple witnesses
• Unexplainable

The Controls

Technical mystery:

• Collective down
• Should descend
• Instead rose
• Against physics
• External force

Significance

Military helicopter with four crew members experiencing controlled ascent by UFO with ground witnesses.

Legacy

The Coyne incident remains one of aviation’s most baffling UFO cases—a military helicopter lifted by an unknown force while its pilot could only watch.