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Report 02-28-01
Incident Report Collary NSW Australia
Date: 28th. 2 .2001.
Via Bryan Dickenson UFOR NSW
On Friday evening of 23 February 2001, at 10.45 pm at Collaroy NSW - a large, reddish object with a glowing red hemispherical base and a "dark, unlit, castle-like upper section" passed from west to east, then out to sea before disappearing several kilometers offshore The object made an extremely loud noise ("like a hundred motorbikes") and was seen for about a quarter of an hour by several streets ("at least") of Collaroy residents, drawn outside by the loud noise. Several bouncers on the door at the local hotel had a very clear view of the object.
Witnesses reported that the object created a definite draft of air in the direction of travel.
An Australian Air Force source reported that four identical objects had been seen over Darwin (NT) earlier that Friday evening. Up to five Australian Air Force jets from Darwin had been scrambled in pursuit. The rotating objects seen at Darwin were reported as having a hemispherical base with a smaller cylindrical turret above. At least one of the objects had flown alongside an Air Force jet, pacing it (the pilots had found this disconcerting). The object had 'jumped' instantaneously to a position behind the jet.
One object had been fired upon but bullets had been deflected without causing any apparent harm. The objects had been followed southwards, but jets had to be diverted near Sydney to Richmond AFB to refuel. (Estimates of the actual sizes of the objects, speeds, etc. are not available at this time) The following Saturday morning, several AF retrieval and Hercules planes had overflown the Collaroy area, "as if looking for something."
Collaroy residents tried to contact the 1800 National UFO hotline during Saturday afternoon, but received a recorded message saying the service was temporarily unavailable. On Sunday, Air Force and Navy planes had continued overflying the Collaroy area. One extremely large plane had overflown the area at very low altitude and low speed, with its cargo doors open.
PRA and Monash University
(Melbourne) personnel are believed to have been discretely providing technical
advice and support for the Defense investigation. The position where the object
vanished on Friday night (several miles east of Collaroy) appears to be a favoured
location for unusual phenomena. On several occasions during the mid-1990s, residents
of Elanora Heights reported seeing a series of bright star-like objects appear
at that location before they sped off either westwards, or northwards along
the coast. On two different occasions, in the very early morning: an "explosion
of light" had been seen and a thin, single ring of cloud had radiated outwards
from that location, horizontal to the ground
and several hundred metres up.
Elanora Heights residents
had experienced an unusual and disorienting "wave", where the ground seemed
to ripple to the northwest (but it was not the usual sort of earthquake and
ground vibration). Two residents near a cliff reported that they had been temporarily
'projected' about 10 metres southeast so they could look down into their neighbour's
back yard, which was not normally from the kitchen. An explosion was heard following
the wave, from the southeast (seaward).
The
incident is being investigated by INUFOR, UFOR(NSW) and UFOESA.
From: "Bill Chalker"
<bill_c@bigpond.com>
To: "Diane Harrison Director AUFORN" <tkbnetw@powerup.com.au>
Cc: <Aussiepost@listbot.com>
Subject: Re: Initial incident report - Collaroy incident
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 15:52:35 +1100
X-Priority: 3
Comment from Bill Chalker via OZ Network:
From: "Bill Chalker"
<bill_c@bigpond.com>
To: "Diane Harrison Director AUFORN" <tkbnetw@powerup.com.au>
Cc: <Aussiepost@listbot.com>
Subject: Re: Initial incident report - Collaroy incident
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 15:52:35 +1100
Hi,
I can confirm that
Peter Khoury and I went out to Collaroy on Sunday and interviewed a number of
locals. Details received in videoed interviews confirm the essential nature
of the Collaroy incident, as described below in Bryan Dickeson's report: One
of the witnesses we spoke to confirmed an antecdote he had been told by a woman
the following day, that approximates the Darwin antecdote Bryan describes. Darwin
, an RAAF pursuit and
firing were all mentioned. The antecdote was mentioned as being apparently linked
to the Collaroy incident.
We briefly interviewed
the local hotel manager and head of security there, but they did not confirm
the incident, other than to volunteer than a large contingent of bikers did
come
into the area around 10 pm. This appears to be earlier than the incident involved.
The witnesses who saw the alleged UFO were certain that the noise they heard
was clearly related to be object they saw go overhead.
I visited Dee Why police on Sunday, but they could not confirm anything out of the ordinary. I have sent an enquiry to the Department of Defence for comment. I spoke with the editor of the Manly Daily. He was unaware of anyone contacting them about the incident and would not run a story to "flush" others out on principle. He would only run a story if locals contacted the paper.
Will advise any further relevant info.
Regards, Bill Chalker
Bill Chalkers request for information from the
Royal Australian Air Force Canberra.
Hi everybody, I sent
the following enquiry off to the Department of Defence
and got the following response, fairly promptly:
Wednesday, 28 February 2001 3:32 PM:
I am seeking any information about alleged "UFO" or "UAS" incidents that occurred on Friday night, February 23rd, 2001. I have interviewed people in the Collaroy (northern Sydney beaches) area who observed and heard an unusual object at about 10.45 pm, ostensibly travelling west to east. This object was claimed to have come down very low over the area and disappeared out to sea. Some locals have linked this to seemingly unusual aircraft and helicopter activity over the area, particularly on Saturday, February 24th.
Others have linked this activity to an alleged UFO event claimed to have involved RAAF aircraft from Darwin NT earlier in the evening of Friday, February 23rd, 2001. This activity allegedly involved 4 similar objects and up to 5 RAAF aircraft in "pursuit".
1.
Could you please confirm whether the RAAF or Department of Defence has any knowledge
of either the alleged Darwin NT and/or Collaroy NSW area events of Friday evening,
February 23rd, 2001? Were any RAAF aircraft involved in any events of the nature
described above?
2.
Were Department of Defence aircraft, helicopters etc involved in activity off
the Collaroy beach area on Friday February 23rd, Saturday February 24th and
since then, and was this related to the events described above? If they were
not related to such events could you please advise me if you are aware of any
explanation for these alleged events and the activity since
Saturday, February 24th, 2001 in the Collaroy area. I will contact you further
on this matter over the next day or so. Thank you.
Bill Chalker
UFO Investigation Centre (UFOIC)
02 9484 4680
__________________________________
The Royal Australian Air Force Canberra official
comment to Bill Chalker from:
Geoff Patchett
Wing Commander
Public Affairs Coordinator - Air Force
SEC Unclassified RAAF Activities 23-25 March 2001
Wednesday, 28 February 2001 6:50 PM
Dear Bill, In answer
to your enquires regarding reports of unusual RAAF activity over the weekend
of 23 -25 March 2001. I have confirmed that there was very limited and routine
aircraft activity over that weekend. The only aircraft operating out of Darwin
at that
time were two F/A-18s conducting normal training flights. There was some transport
aircraft activity out of Richmond Airbase but that was also routine tasking
and did not involve any searching activity. A Caribou also transited to the
Naval Station at Nowra on a routine flight. At mid day on 24th a F111 also transited
from Brisbane to Nowra on a routine flight.
Geoff Patchett
Wing Commander
Public Affairs Coordinator - Air Force
Will keep you posted
on any further developments,
Regards,
Bill Chalker
________________________________________
Comment Diane:
I had a conversation with Bill regarding the incident and informed him I might be able to find out a little more from the RAAF in QLD and asked him if he would like me to do so.
Hence the report
from me.
________________________________________
A formal request for information relating to the incident In on the 23rd -25th February near Collaroy
From Diane
Harrison, National Director of AUFORN
Time: 14:35p.m
Date: 28th 2 2001
To The Royal Australian Air Force Amberley QLD
Via Racheal King Public Affairs Coordinator - Air Force Qld
Date: Wed, 28 Feb
2001 14:35:44 +1100
To: ambpublicrelations@defence.gov.au
From: Diane Harrison Director AUFORN <tkbnetw@powerup.com.au>
Subject: Fwd: Initial incident report
Hi Racheal
Thank you for looking at this. Like I said I'm just a little surprised that this kind of information is said to have come from the Air force. I would be interested in what you can find out regarding this incident. Thank you again for talking the time to look at it.
Telephone call 28th
2 2001 to Diane Harrison from Racheal King
Public Affairs Coordinator - Air Force Qld
The message left:
Hi Diane just calling you back as we are having technical problem with our network.
As for the information you seek, I've found there was nothing unusual happening
in Darwin or Collaroy, I've been told that no F1-11 were scrambled as stated
in the report. However I have been in-touch with Wing Commander Geoff Patchett
Public Affairs
Coordinator in Canberra. I informed him that I had your e-mail address, he informed
me he would be sending another UFO network an Official Response and would do
the same for you. If you require anything else please don't hesitate to call
me. (End of call)
________________________________
From: "Patchett,
Geoff" <Geoff.Patchett@cbr.defence.gov.au
To: "'tkbnetw@powerup.com.au'" <tkbnetw@powerup.com.au
Subject: SEC: Unclassified RAAF Activities 23-25 March 2001
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 18:53:03 +1100
Dear Diane, In response
to your comments regarding reports of unusual RAAF activity over the weekend
of 23 -25 March 2001. I have confirmed that there was very limited and routine
aircraft activity over that weekend. The only aircraft operating out of Darwin
at that time were two F/A-18s conducting normal training flights. There was
some transport aircraft activity out of Richmond Airbase but that was also routine
tasking and did not involve any searching
activity. A Caribou also transited to the Naval Station at Nowra on a routine
flight. At mid day on 24th a F111 also transited from Brisbane to Nowra on a
routine flight.
Geoff Patchett
Wing Commander
Public Affairs Coordinator - Air Force
(02) 6265 5453
Comment Diane: As
you can see from the Commander response we are not much closer to finding out
what happened in Collaroy. However I've heard that Bryan Dickenson, Bill Chalker
and Peter Khoury are working on the case and I've been informed that they will
keep
us all up to date. Thank for the follow up Bill, Bryan, Peter
More to come
Regards Diane Harrison
National Director
of The Australian UFO Research Network
Australian Skywatch Director
~~<>~~~~<>~~~~<>~~~~<>~~~~<>~~~~<>~~~~<>~~~~<>
THE AUSTRALIAN UFO RESEARCH NETWORK
(A Non-Profit Organization)
E-Mail: tkbnetw@powerup.com.au
E-mail: ufologist@powerup.com.au
http://www.powerup.com.au/~tkbnetw
March 2001
