Parapedia - 2008 Stephenville UFO Sightings
On January 8, 2008, Stephenville gained national media attention when dozens and later hundreds of residents reported observations of unidentified flying objects. According to reports, residents observed several types of UFOs, the descriptions ranging from triangular looking craft to discs. Several residents described the crafts as the size of a football field, while others said they were nearly a mile long. Some observers reported military aircraft pursuing the objects.
CNN's Larry King covered the story in the days following the incident, and according to Steve Allen, a private pilot who witnessed the UFO, the object was travelling at a high rate of speed which supposedly reached 3,000 feet in the air. Allen said it was "About a half a mile wide and about a mile long. It was humongous, whatever it was." The History Channel show, UFO Hunters did an investigation on the UFO sightings.
On January 23, after initially denying that aircraft were operating in the area for operations security purposes, the US Air Force said they were conducting training flights in the Stephenville area that involved 10 fighter jets. The Air Force said they were merely F-16 Fighting Falcon jets conducting night flights. Disgruntled employee, Angelia Joiner, who during this period was the Stephenville Empire-Tribune reporter covering the story, left the paper because they ceased covering the topic. Washington Post blogger Emil Steiner reported that her termination may have been related to pressure from the Stephenville town fathers. MUFON has released reports about the UFO incident here. The report alleged that a UFO had flown over the Bush's Crawford Ranch. The other MUFON report is a radar related report on this matter. Inquiries made about the UFO incident have been stonewalled by the USAF. For further information see the reports by Shanna Sissom with respect to Tarleton State University.
CNN's Larry King covered the story in the days following the incident, and according to Steve Allen, a private pilot who witnessed the UFO, the object was travelling at a high rate of speed which supposedly reached 3,000 feet in the air. Allen said it was "About a half a mile wide and about a mile long. It was humongous, whatever it was." The History Channel show, UFO Hunters did an investigation on the UFO sightings.
On January 23, after initially denying that aircraft were operating in the area for operations security purposes, the US Air Force said they were conducting training flights in the Stephenville area that involved 10 fighter jets. The Air Force said they were merely F-16 Fighting Falcon jets conducting night flights. Disgruntled employee, Angelia Joiner, who during this period was the Stephenville Empire-Tribune reporter covering the story, left the paper because they ceased covering the topic. Washington Post blogger Emil Steiner reported that her termination may have been related to pressure from the Stephenville town fathers. MUFON has released reports about the UFO incident here. The report alleged that a UFO had flown over the Bush's Crawford Ranch. The other MUFON report is a radar related report on this matter. Inquiries made about the UFO incident have been stonewalled by the USAF. For further information see the reports by Shanna Sissom with respect to Tarleton State University.