Kaikoura Lights, New Zealand (1978)

The Kaikoura Lights incident refers to a series of reported sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) off the coast of Kaikoura, New Zealand, in December 1978. These events involved both visual observations from civilian and military personnel and coincident radar returns. The incidents garnered significant public attention and led to official scrutiny by the New Zealand government.

December 21, 1978:

• 9:30 PM NZST (approx.): A civilian freight aircraft, Argosy flight 651, en route from Woodbourne (near Blenheim) to Christchurch airport, reported encountering unusual lights.
• Over Kaikoura coast: The flight crew observed multiple bright lights, some described as flashing, following their aircraft and performing unusual maneuvers.
• Christchurch Air Traffic Control (ATC): Radar operators at Christchurch reportedly detected unexplained targets on their screens.

December 31, 1978:

• The Argosy aircraft, again conducting a freight run with a film crew from an Australian television station (ATN-7, Sydney) on board, again encountered UAP.
• Evening hours: Multiple sightings occurred, including large, luminous objects, some described as cigar-shaped, which were reportedly tracked by radar.
• Film and video footage: The ATN-7 crew filmed some of these phenomena.

1. Date of Incidents: December 21 and December 31, 1978.
2. Location: Primarily off the coast of Kaikoura, New Zealand.
3. Aircraft Involved: A civilian Armstrong Whitworth Argosy 651 freight aircraft.
4. Official Documentation: Reports filed by air traffic controllers and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) personnel exist. The RNZAF initiated an investigation primarily focused on air safety.
5. Radar Data: Records from Christchurch Air Traffic Control radar exist, showing unexplained targets.
6. Media Coverage: The events were widely reported by New Zealand and international media, particularly following the presence of the Australian film crew.
7. Film Footage: A 16mm film and video footage of the alleged UAP were captured by the ATN-7 crew.

1. Multiple Object Shapes: Witnesses reported seeing disc-shaped, cigar-shaped, and spherical objects.
2. Varied Object Sizes: Descriptions ranged from small, bright lights to objects comparable to "the size of houses."
3. Unusual Maneuvers: Objects reportedly performed rapid acceleration, deceleration, and sharp turns inconsistent with conventional aircraft.
4. Luminous Quality: The objects were described as emitting bright, often flashing, white or yellow lights.
5. Close Proximity: Some objects were reportedly seen very close to the Argosy aircraft, maintaining pace with it.
6. Radar-Visual Correlation: Witnesses claimed that visual sightings coincided with radar returns.

• Captain Bill Startup (Argosy pilot): Stated seeing "lights that were just unbelievable, just going from one side of the aircraft to the other in seconds." He described a very large, flashing light that appeared to be following them.
• First Officer Bob Guard (Argosy co-pilot): Described seeing "several brilliant lights, varying colors of red, white, green," which performed "incredible maneuvers."
• Christchurch ATC personnel: Reportedly confirmed observing unusual rapidly moving radar targets that did not correspond to known air traffic.
• ATN-7 Film Crew: Members provided testimony about filming unidentifiable objects and seeing radar screens displaying unusual targets.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) conducted an internal inquiry. The primary concern was the safety implications for air traffic rather than the nature of the phenomena. Their findings were summarized and released in unclassified documents. No definitive conclusion regarding the origin of the UAP was reached. The Ministry of Defence reviewed the radar tapes and witness statements.

• Radar Data: Interpreted by some experts as genuine unexplained anomalies. Skeptics posited possibilities of anomalous propagation, false echoes, or processing artifacts.
• Film Footage: Analysed by various individuals, including optical specialists. While the film clearly showed lights in the sky, critics debated whether the objects were distant conventional aircraft, ships, or celestial phenomena. Proponents highlighted unusual movement and brightness. Barry J. Greenwood and Robert S. Lesniak, US researchers from the Center for UFO Studies, offered an analysis, suggesting some objects were unidentifiable.
• Optical Phenomena: Some analyses considered the potential for Venus or other bright planets, and stars distorted by atmospheric conditions or optical illusions from the aircraft's windows.

1. Aircraft Lights: Distant ships or other aircraft, particularly as the Argosy was flying near a busy shipping lane.
2. Celestial Objects: Bright stars (e.g., Sirius) or planets (e.g., Venus) misinterpreted due to atmospheric distortion or aircraft motion.
3. Anomalous Propagation: Unusual atmospheric conditions causing radar signals to bend and reflect off distant objects (like land masses or clouds), creating false targets.
4. Weather Balloons/Paper Lanterns: Although less likely for the reported speeds and maneuvers, these are often cited in UAP cases.
5. Pilot Misinterpretation: The psychological stress of night flight or unfamiliar visual inputs leading to misidentification.

Despite various explanations, a definitive, universally accepted conventional explanation for all aspects of the Kaikoura Lights incident, particularly the combination of simultaneous radar returns and visual sightings by multiple trained observers, has not been reached. The unusual speeds and maneuvers reported, and the persistence of the radar targets remain challenging for purely conventional explanations. The film and radar data continue to be subjects of debate.