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Frederick Valentich Disappearance
A pilot's final transmission: 'It is not an aircraft.' Then metallic scraping sounds. Then silence. Frederick Valentich vanished over Bass Strait. His plane was never found. UFO sightings were reported that night.
October 21, 1978
Bass Strait, Australia
20+ witnesses
Frederick Valentich was an Australian pilot who disappeared during a training flight, after reporting a UFO to air traffic control.
The Disappearance
According to documented accounts:
On October 21, 1978:
- Valentich was flying to King Island
- He reported an unidentified aircraft
- Melbourne air traffic control recorded it
- His transmission ended with strange sounds
- Neither he nor his plane were found
The Final Transmission
Valentich reported:
- A large unknown aircraft
- “It is not an aircraft”
- The object circling above him
- Bright lights
- Engine problems
Then: 17 seconds of metallic scraping sounds.
The Search
Authorities searched:
- Air, sea, and land
- No wreckage found
- No body recovered
UFO Reports
That evening:
- Multiple UFO sightings were reported
- Green lights in the sky
- Over the same region