Florida, Pilot Takes Evasive Action from UFO

At 7:45 p.m., February 28, the three-man crew of an Eastern Air Lines ferry flight from St. Louis to Miami saw a string of unknown lights that caused the pilot “to take evasive action.” Traveling at 18,000 feet, Captain Robert F. Reilman, Flight Officer A. J. Farmer and Safety Officer Rick Morrison first noticed “a red flashing light” at their altitude.

In his report to NICAP, the pilot said the light was at their 11:30 position about halfway between Jacksonville and Orlando, Florida.

“Who’s this at our 11:30 position?” Capt. Reilman asked a nearby control center.

The center replied that they had been in communication with a plane 15 miles away.

“Well, this guy isn’t 15 miles away,” the pilot replied. “He’s at 11:30, has one flashing red light and three – now four red lights strung out – one red light turned to green.”

At this point, Capt. Reilman “prepared to take evasive action.” The center radioed back that they had spotted no targets on their radar scope.

“Come on,” Reilman responded, “he’s going right by us at our 9:00 position.”

The center still replied that they had no targets and that no balloons were in the vicinity.

“I dropped the subject and proceeded to Miami,” the Captain concluded.

Pacings of ground vehicles have often badly frightened the witnesses, showing that official debunking and denials have not abated fears of UFOs. If anything, they have increased such fears, since many citizens believe the facts are kept from them.