Answer: The state of Pennsylvania holds a unique and significant place in the history of UFO crash and retrieval reports in the United States. While not as globally famous as the Roswell incident, Pennsylvania’s own cases—most notably the Kecksburg crash of 1965—are among the best-documented and most widely investigated in the field of ufology. In this comprehensive answer, I will detail the major reported UFO crashes in Pennsylvania, describe the events, witnesses, and physical evidence, and assess the credibility of each case, drawing extensively from primary sources, investigative reports, and scholarly works.
## 1. The Kecksburg UFO Crash (December 9, 1965)
### Overview
The Kecksburg incident is by far the most famous and thoroughly investigated UFO crash in Pennsylvania, and is often referred to as “Pennsylvania’s Roswell.” On the evening of December 9, 1965, thousands of witnesses across several states and Canada observed a brilliant fireball streaking across the sky. The object was seen to change direction, descend, and apparently crash into a wooded area near the small town of Kecksburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
### Witnesses and Testimony
**Eyewitnesses:**
– **Randy Overly and friend**: Playing outside near Norvelt, they heard a hissing sound and saw a slow-moving object fly about 200 feet overhead, described as “acorn-shaped.”
– **Bill Bulebush**: While tuning his CB radio, he saw the fiery object hesitate over Laurelville, then turn and descend into the woods near Kecksburg.
– **Frances Kalp**: Reported to WHJB radio that she saw smoke rising from the woods and a glowing object.
– **Jim Romansky**: A volunteer firefighter who entered the woods and described seeing an acorn-shaped object, about 9-12 feet in diameter, with a band of strange “hieroglyphics” around its base.
– **John Murphy**: News director at WHJB radio, who investigated the site and later produced a documentary, “Object in the Woods,” before being pressured to suppress his findings.
**Military and Official Response:**
– State police and U.S. Army personnel quickly cordoned off the area.
– Numerous witnesses reported seeing a large military presence, including flatbed trucks and armed guards.
– Several locals reported seeing a large object being loaded onto a military truck and removed from the area under cover of darkness.
### Physical Evidence
– **Ground Traces:** Some witnesses and later researchers (see Stan Gordon’s investigations) reported scorched ground and broken tree branches at the alleged impact site.
– **Hieroglyphics:** Multiple witnesses described a band of strange, raised symbols around the base of the acorn-shaped object, reminiscent of “Egyptian hieroglyphics.”
– **Military Retrieval:** The object was reportedly removed by military personnel, and no physical debris was made available to the public.
### Official Explanations and Cover-Up
– The U.S. Air Force initially claimed nothing was found, then later suggested the object was a meteor or the re-entry of a Soviet satellite (Kosmos 96). However, NASA’s own records and later FOIA lawsuits (see Kean, 2005) revealed that the Kosmos 96 satellite could not have landed at the time and place of the Kecksburg crash.
– NASA and the Department of Defense have been accused of stonewalling FOIA requests for decades. In 2003, journalist Leslie Kean and the Coalition for Freedom of Information filed a lawsuit against NASA for withholding records related to the incident (Kean, 2005).
### Credibility Assessment
– **Multiple independent witnesses** (including police, firefighters, and civilians) provided consistent descriptions of the object and the military response.
– **Physical evidence** (scorched ground, broken trees, and the reported removal of an object) supports the occurrence of a real event.
– **Official obfuscation** and the lack of a plausible prosaic explanation (meteor, satellite, or aircraft) further bolster the case’s credibility.
– **Stan Gordon**, a respected investigator, has spent decades collecting and analyzing witness testimony and physical evidence, and his work is widely cited in the field (Gordon, 1998; Gordon, 1974 MUFON Symposium Proceedings).
**References:**
– Gordon, Stan. “Kecksburg: The Untold Story.” Video Documentary, 1998.
– Gordon, Stan. “Pennsylvania Close Encounter.” MUFON UFO Journal, October 1985.
– Kean, Leslie. “NASA Sued Over Kecksburg UFO Records.” *Coalition for Freedom of Information*, 2003–2005.
– Randle, Kevin D. *A History of UFO Crashes*. New York: Avon Books, 1995.
– “Army Ropes Off Area: Unidentified Flying Object Falls Near Kecksburg.” *Tribune-Review*, Greensburg, PA, December 10, 1965.
## 2. The Carbondale UFO Incident (November 9, 1974)
### Overview
Known as the “Carbondale UFO Pond Incident,” this case involved reports of a glowing object crashing into a pond in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. Three teenage boys claimed to have seen a red ball of light descend into the water.
### Witnesses and Testimony
– **Three teenage boys**: First reported the event, describing a glowing object sinking into the pond.
– **Local police and fire department**: Responded to the scene, cordoned off the area, and attempted to retrieve the object.
– **UFO researchers and media**: Quickly arrived, and the event drew significant public attention.
### Physical Evidence
– **Divers**: Recovered a battery-powered railroad lantern from the pond, which was still glowing.
– **Ripples and vibrations**: Some witnesses claimed to see ripples and feel vibrations in the water, suggesting something larger than a lantern.
### Official Explanation
– Authorities declared the incident a hoax, attributing the glowing object to the lantern thrown into the pond by pranksters.
– Some researchers, including Leonard Stringfield, suggested that the lantern was a diversion and that a genuine object was removed by the National Guard under Air Force Intelligence orders (Stringfield, 1982).
### Credibility Assessment
– The case is controversial. While the official explanation is plausible, the rapid military response and reports of a metallic object seen by a sheriff before the lantern was retrieved have kept the case alive in UFO literature.
– Most mainstream researchers consider the Carbondale incident to be a probable hoax, but some maintain that a cover-up occurred.
**References:**
– Stringfield, Leonard H. “UFO Crash/Retrievals: Amassing the Evidence.” Cincinnati, Ohio, 1982.
– “Carbondale UFO Incident.” *APRO Bulletin*, 1974.
## 3. Indiantown Gap Crash Retrieval (Winter 1969)
### Overview
This lesser-known case comes from the testimony of Sergeant 1st Class Clifford Stone, U.S. Army (ret.), who claimed to have participated in the recovery of a crashed “wedge-shaped” extraterrestrial craft at Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania.
### Witnesses and Testimony
– **Sgt. Clifford Stone**: At a 2001 Disclosure Project press conference, Stone stated, “I was involved in situations where we actually did recoveries of crashed saucers, for lack of better terms. There were bodies that were involved with some of these crashes. Also, some were alive.”
– Stone described being called to Indiantown Gap in winter 1969, where he saw the craft and bodies, and took radiation readings.
### Physical Evidence
– No physical evidence has been made public.
– The only source for this event is Stone’s testimony, which is detailed and consistent but lacks corroborating witnesses or documentation.
### Credibility Assessment
– Stone is a credible witness with a long military career and has testified under oath.
– However, the lack of independent corroboration or physical evidence makes this case less robust than Kecksburg.
**References:**
– Stone, Clifford. Disclosure Project Press Conference, National Press Club, Washington, DC, May 9, 2001.
– Randle, Kevin D. *A History of UFO Crashes*. New York: Avon Books, 1995.
## 4. Other Notable Reports
### Juniata, Pennsylvania (August 27, 1956)
– **Witness:** R.S.P. (pseudonym), observed a small, glowing, disc-shaped object hovering 15–20 feet away, with a transparent dome and humming noise. Reported to Project Blue Book and classified as “Unidentified.”
– **Credibility:** High; investigated by Air Force and included in Blue Book’s “Unknowns.” (NICAP, Hall, 1964)
### Butler County Burned Circles (March 8, 1990)
– **Event:** Nine burnt oval-shaped areas found in a rural area, with subsequent sightings of a luminous, top-shaped object.
– **Physical Evidence:** Burned ground, video footage of the object.
– **Credibility:** Investigated by PASU and MUFON; no evidence of a hoax found.
**References:**
– Hall, Richard H. *The UFO Evidence*. NICAP, 1964.
– Gordon, Stan. “Pennsylvania Close Encounter.” MUFON UFO Journal, October 1985.
## Summary Table
| Date | Location | Description | Witnesses/Evidence | Credibility |
|——————–|——————-|———————————–|———————————–|———————|
| Dec 9, 1965 | Kecksburg | Acorn-shaped object crash/retrieval| Dozens of witnesses, physical traces, military cover-up | Very High |
| Nov 9, 1974 | Carbondale | Glowing object in pond | 3 boys, police, media, lantern recovered | Moderate (possible hoax) |
| Winter 1969 | Indiantown Gap | Wedge-shaped craft, bodies | Sgt. Clifford Stone’s testimony | Moderate (single witness)|
| Aug 27, 1956 | Juniata | Small disc, close encounter | R.S.P., Air Force investigation | High |
| Mar 8, 1990 | Butler County | Burned circles, luminous object | Multiple witnesses, video, ground traces | High |
## Conclusion
**How many UFO crashes have been reported in Pennsylvania?**
– **At least three major crash/retrieval cases** (Kecksburg 1965, Carbondale 1974, Indiantown Gap 1969) are widely cited in the literature, with Kecksburg being the most credible and best-documented.
– **Several other close encounter and landing cases** (Juniata 1956, Butler County 1990) involve physical evidence and official investigation, but do not always involve a “crash” in the classic sense.
**Credibility:**
– **Kecksburg** stands as one of the most credible UFO crash cases in the world, with multiple independent witnesses, physical evidence, and a documented military cover-up.
– **Carbondale** is controversial, with evidence pointing to a hoax but persistent rumors of a cover-up.
– **Indiantown Gap** relies on a single credible witness but lacks corroboration.
– **Other cases** (Juniata, Butler County) are well-documented and involve physical evidence, but are not “crash” cases per se.
**References and Sources:**
– Gordon, Stan. “Kecksburg: The Untold Story.” Video Documentary, 1998.
– Gordon, Stan. “Pennsylvania Close Encounter.” MUFON UFO Journal, October 1985.
– Kean, Leslie. “NASA Sued Over Kecksburg UFO Records.” Coalition for Freedom of Information, 2003–2005.
– Randle, Kevin D. *A History of UFO Crashes*. New York: Avon Books, 1995.
– Hall, Richard H. *The UFO Evidence*. NICAP, 1964.
– Stringfield, Leonard H. “UFO Crash/Retrievals: Amassing the Evidence.” Cincinnati, Ohio, 1982.
– Stone, Clifford. Disclosure Project Press Conference, National Press Club, Washington, DC, May 9, 2001.
– “Army Ropes Off Area: Unidentified Flying Object Falls Near Kecksburg.” Tribune-Review, Greensburg, PA, December 10, 1965.
**In summary:**
Pennsylvania has been the site of at least three major reported UFO crashes, with Kecksburg being the most credible and best-documented. The evidence includes multiple independent witnesses, physical traces, and a documented military cover-up. Other cases, while intriguing, are less well-supported but contribute to Pennsylvania’s reputation as a true UFO hotspot.