The Portage County Chase
Before dawn, two Ohio deputies chased a glowing object for more than 80 miles, until they ran out of fuel in Pennsylvania.
What was reported
Early on 17 April 1966, two sheriff's deputies in Portage County, Ohio, stopped to check an abandoned car. They said a bright object rose from the trees, lit them up, and hovered over the road with a humming sound. Ordered by radio to follow it, they gave chase at speeds of up to 100 miles an hour.
The pursuit crossed into Pennsylvania. Other officers along the way reported seeing the light too. Near Conway, low on fuel, the deputies stopped, and watched the object rise straight up and disappear.
Explanations offered
The Air Force's Project Blue Book concluded the officers had seen a satellite, Echo, and then the planet Venus. The deputies and other witnesses rejected that, and the case later inspired a scene in the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
- When
- 17 April 1966
- Where
- Ravenna, Ohio, USA
- Witnesses
- Sheriff's deputies and police officers in two states
- Status
- Disputed
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.
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