October 1965 - Michigan - Domed Disc & White Orb UFO Sightings
Birmingham UFO Group Case Report Author: Dave Hodrien Last Updated: 18/05/2013
Introduction
Occasionally at BUFOG we get contacted by witnesses from much further afield than the area of Birmingham. Recently the contactee from the Bletchley Contact Case (report available elsewhere on this site) put details of his sighting on a website. Pat Clements from Michigan USA read the article and decided to get back to him with details of his own past UFO sightings to offer support. The man from Bletchley forwarded Pat my details and soon afterwards Pat contacted me by E-Mail to describe his impressive sightings. The two incidents will each be covered separately in this report, but as they took place in such a short space of time, there is the possibility that they were related.
It should also be noted that two other sightings occurred in Sudbury, Ontario within a month of these sightings. Due to the fact that Ontario is the state just North of Michigan there is a possibility that these sightings are also related. You can find links to reports on these other sightings towards the end of this report.
Domed Disc Sighting - Early October 1965
Sighting Details
There is no question that this sighting was extremely impressive, and certainly seemed to show a physical craft of unknown origins. Pat believes the sighting took place on a Friday or Saturday night in the early part of October 1965. It was a clear night, the stars were visible and it was also very still. Pat (who was 15 at the time), his friend Rick Blackwood, his brother Greg and Greg’s girlfriend Maureen Phoenix (Ages 15-17) were driving along Pontiac Trail in Northfield Township, Washtenaw. Greg was driving, and Pat and Rick were on the back seat. They were heading south towards the fairground in Saline, for a sponsored dance for teenagers. They drove past German Park on the way to Ann Arbor. Both Pat and Rick needed to relieve themselves so Greg pulled up at the side of the road. Pat and Rick got out and walked back about 75 feet behind the car where Maureen would not be able to see them. They were facing the car when suddenly Rick exclaimed “What is that over the car?” Looking into the sky, both witnesses saw a huge “classic” flying saucer shaped craft. It was matt black in colour and against the night sky, which was why they had not spotted it sooner. It was stationary and completely silent, just hanging in the air above the car. Pat knew the area well and was able to estimate the size of the craft at 75 feet across. He estimates it was about 100 feet high above the car.
Map showing location of incident:

In describing the craft, Pat says “It had beautiful lines to it and reminded me of a French curve in the way it seemed to flow together, absolutely breath-taking. The outer rim had a row of rectangular sequential blinking lights firing off in succession as if it was moving, it is possible it was transmitting data to the inner part of the human brain, I certainly absorbed the flashing lights.”

After several minutes, the craft began to move away to their right at over 200mph. As it did so it moved in a sharp zigzagging pattern, making 90 degree turns without slowing down at all. Pat is a licensed pilot and says that there is no way a human would be able to withstand such sharp movements due to the G force exerted on them. As they watched, they called out to Greg and Maureen who then also saw the craft. It continued to make several more 90 degree turns before suddenly accelerating straight upwards at an incredible speed. The bottom of the craft turned a brilliant white as it burned through the atmosphere. No sonic boom was heard, and before long the craft was completely out of sight. In his last glimpses of it, he thought that from underneath the craft looked similar to the old ECHO spacecraft that was launched in the early 1960s.

Pat found out later that Frank Mannor, the son of a local farmer, claimed to have seen the craft land in a nearby field. I am currently trying to get in contact with him about the incident, so this report may well be updated.
Analysis