THINK ABOUTIT UFO SIGHTING REPORT
Date: September 14, 1952
Sighting Time: 2100
Day/Night: Night
Location: Charleston West Virginia
Urban or Rural: Rural
Hynek Classification: CE-III (Close Encounter III) Close observation with animate beings associated with the object.
Duration:
No. of Object(s): 1
Size of Object(s):
Distance to Object(s):
Shape of Object(s): disc-shaped object
Color of Object(s): luminous white
Number of Witnesses: Several
Special Characteristics: Two men wearing bright suits emerged from the craft
Source: Loren Gross, UFOs a History 1952
Summary/Description: The sighting in Charleston, West Virginia on September 14, 1952, represents one of the more unusual CE-III encounters recorded during the prolific summer wave of that year. Occurring just nine days after the terrifying encounter in Weston and two days after the famous Flatwoods Monster incident, this report adds another layer to the intense activity centered in the Appalachian region at the time.
According to the report sourced from researcher Loren Gross, several witnesses observed a luminous white, disc-shaped object descending toward a rural area of Charleston. The object did not merely pass by; it reportedly made a landing, allowing for a close-range observation of its occupants. From the glowing craft, two humanoid figures emerged. These entities were described as wearing “bright suits,” which suggests a metallic or highly reflective material that caught the light of the disc-shaped object.
The most bizarre detail of the encounter involved the occupants’ subsequent behavior. Rather than attempting to communicate or survey the ground, the two men reportedly began to climb a nearby tree. This specific action is a rare outlier in UFO occupant reports and suggests a level of “high strangeness” that defies simple extraterrestrial or military explanations. The witnesses remained at a distance, watching the figures until the encounter concluded, though the specific details of the craft’s departure were not recorded in the initial NUFORC or Gross summaries.
Historical Analysis and Context
In the broader context of 1952 sightings, the Charleston case is part of a cluster of West Virginia encounters that shared common themes: glowing aerial objects, distinct humanoid occupants, and a heavy psychological impact on the witnesses. While the “bright suits” are common in 1950s humanoid reports, the arboreal activity of the entities remains a unique characteristic of this specific case.
The Charleston incident serves as a vital data point for researchers looking at the geographic concentration of UFO activity. Coming so soon after the Flatwoods event, it raises questions about whether the same “visitors” were surveying different parts of the state or if the publicity of the Braxton County sightings simply made local residents more observant of the unidentified flying objects in their own backyards.
“Ultimately, the Charleston encounter remains a cornerstone of West Virginia’s 1952 ‘summer of monsters.’ It challenges our understanding of the phenomenon by presenting occupants that interacted directly with the environment in ways that seem both deliberate and incomprehensible. This case continues to stand as a testament to the high-strangeness that defined one of the most active years in the history of modern ufology.”
