The Ariel School Encounter
During morning break, a group of schoolchildren ran to their teachers saying something had landed beyond the playground.
What was reported
At the Ariel School near Harare, dozens of children aged roughly six to twelve said they saw a craft come down in the scrub beside the school field, with small figures in dark clothing near it. The teachers were in a staff meeting and did not see it.
Journalists and the Harvard psychiatrist John Mack interviewed the children soon afterwards. Many drew similar pictures, and several, now adults, still describe the event the same way.
Explanations offered
There is no agreed explanation. Sceptics suggest excitement spreading through a group of children after reports of strange lights in the region that week. Witnesses who have spoken as adults say that doesn't match what they remember.
- When
- 16 September 1994
- Where
- Ruwa, Zimbabwe
- Witnesses
- About 60 schoolchildren
- Status
- Unexplained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.