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UFO

Valentich Disappearance

Frederick Valentich vanished while flying over Bass Strait after reporting a UFO hovering above his aircraft. His final words—'It is not an aircraft'—were followed by metallic sounds, then silence. Neither he nor his plane were ever found.

October 21, 1978
Bass Strait, Australia
1+ witnesses

The Bass Strait Mystery

On October 21, 1978, 20-year-old pilot Frederick Valentich disappeared over Bass Strait, Australia after radioing Melbourne air traffic control about a UFO following his Cessna. His final transmission ended with metallic scraping sounds.

The Pilot

Frederick Valentich:

  • 20 years old
  • Australian pilot
  • Flying Cessna 182
  • Training flight
  • UFO enthusiast

The Flight

October 21, 1978:

  • King Island destination
  • Night flight
  • Bass Strait crossing
  • Solo pilot
  • Clear conditions

The Contact

Radio transmission:

  • 7:06 PM contact
  • Melbourne Flight Service
  • Strange aircraft above
  • Four bright lights
  • Not conventional

The Transcript

Key exchanges:

  • “What type of aircraft is it?”
  • “I cannot identify”
  • “It’s not an aircraft”
  • Long elliptical shape
  • Hovering above

The Description

Valentich reported:

  • Metallic shiny surface
  • Bright lights
  • Orbiting his plane
  • Not an aircraft
  • Unknown origin

Engine Failure

Final moments:

  • Engine rough idling
  • Coughing
  • Object just above
  • “It is not an aircraft”
  • Then silence

The Sound

Final transmission:

  • Metallic scraping
  • 17 seconds
  • Then nothing
  • Radio died
  • Contact lost

Extensive effort:

  • Air and sea
  • Multiple days
  • Nothing found
  • No wreckage
  • No body

Explanations Proposed

Theories include:

  • Disorientation
  • Suicide
  • Staged disappearance
  • Drug running
  • UFO abduction

The Disorientation Theory

Official suggestion:

  • Flying inverted
  • Lights were reflection
  • Stars in water
  • Crashed into sea
  • But no wreckage

UFO Connection

Supporting evidence:

  • His description detailed
  • Craft described
  • Deliberate hovering
  • Disappeared same area
  • Other sightings reported

Other Sightings

Same night:

  • Roy Manifold photo
  • Strange object
  • Bass Strait area
  • Same timeframe
  • Possible connection

Father’s Investigation

Guido Valentich:

  • Continued searching
  • Believed son alive
  • UFO theory
  • Never gave up
  • Died 2000

Significance

Pilot disappearance during radio contact describing UFO, audio recording of final moments, no wreckage found.

Legacy

Valentich represents aviation’s greatest UFO mystery—a pilot in communication, describing a hovering craft, whose final words and metallic scraping sounds ended with vanishing forever.

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