THINK ABOUTIT UFO SIGHTING REPORT
Date: March 31 1967
Sighting Time: 9:30 pm
Day/Night: Night
Location: South Wellington, Texas
Urban or Rural: Rural near an abandoned farmhouse
Entity Type:
Entity Description:
Hynek Classification: CE-II (Close Encounter II) Observation of an object in close proximity to the witness, where physical traces (impression, burn, medical effect, etc.) are left or (electrical effect, heat) are felt
Duration:
No. of Object(s): 1
Size of Object(s): 100 feet long and 8-10 feet in diameter, with a 20″ diameter light in its nose
Distance to Object(s): 200 ft
Shape of Object(s): A gray, bullet-shaped object about 100 feet long and 8–10 feet in diameter, hovering a foot above the ground. It had a 20-inch diameter light in its nose.
Color of Object(s): gray
Number of Witnesses: 1
Source: Dr J Allen Hynek USAF Blue Book, Robert Loftin & William P Courter for Apro
Summary/Description: Carroll Watts, a farmer, had just left his father’s farmhouse; as he drove near his own property, he saw a light near an abandoned farmhouse. Fearing prowlers, he drove to within 200 ft and approached on foot, finding a gray bullet shaped object, 100 feet long and 8-10 feet in diameter, with a 20″ diameter light in its nose, hovering a foot above the ground.
Watts walked around the object and, finding the outline of an unopened hatch, knocked on it. A U-shaped door was lowered from the hull, to the sound of a whirring motor; steps inside the door led into the interior of the craft which was illuminated by a bluish-white light and contained instruments and electronic type equipment. On the opposite side of the room he observed what appeared to be a map, about a foot above the floor, about a yard square in size.
Shortly after the door opened, Watts heard a mechanical sounding voice, although he saw no one; the voice addressed him by name and asked him to submit to a “strenuous” physical examination, as a prerequisite for being given a ride in the object. Alarmed, Watts quickly retreated and left the area.
He reported the incident within days to the local Air Force Base at Amarillo.
The 1967 Texas UFO Wave
“The Carroll Watts encounter in Wellington was not an isolated event; it occurred during a significant surge of UFO activity across Texas in 1967. This period, often referred to by researchers as a regional ‘wave,’ saw dozens of high-credibility reports submitted to local authorities and the Air Force’s Project Blue Book. While the Wellington case is unique for its detailed interior description and the ‘mechanical voice’ communication, other reports from the Texas Panhandle during the same month described similar metallic, high-speed craft performing complex maneuvers.
Researchers note that 1967 was a pivotal year for the CE-II classification, as witnesses began reporting more direct interactions with craft rather than simple distant lights. The fact that Watts reported the incident to the Amarillo Air Force Base highlights the seriousness with which these sightings were treated during the height of the Cold War era’s fascination with unidentified aerial phenomena.”
The Carroll Watts encounter stands as one of the most intriguing cases of the 1967 wave, offering a rare and detailed look into the interior of an unidentified craft. While Watts’ retreat prevented further interaction, his report to the Amarillo Air Force Base added a significant data point to the official records of the era. This case remains a primary example of a CE-II event where the sheer physical presence and proximity of the object left a lasting impression on the witness. As researchers continue to study the Texas Panhandle sightings, the Wellington incident serves as a vital reminder of the high-strangeness reports that challenged conventional explanations during the peak of the 20th-century UFO phenomenon.
