THINK ABOUTIT UFO SIGHTINGS REPORT
Date: July 8, 1968
Sighting Time: 2220
Day/Night: Night
Location: Warren, Ohio
Urban or Rural: Air
Entity Type:
Entity Description:
Hynek Classification: CE-I (Close Encounter I) Observation of an object in close proximity to the witness (i.e. within 500’)
Duration:
No. of Object(s): 1
Appearance / Description of the Object(s):
Distance to Object(s): 150 to 200 yards
Shape of Object(s):
Size of Object(s): six to ten feet in diameter and from 16 to 20 feet tall
Color of Object(s): metallic and had a light beaming from its underside
Number of Witnesses: 4
Special Features/Characteristics:
Source: Reported To Think AboutIt
Summary/Description:
Full Report
On July 8, the pilot and passengers of a Cessna 172 Skyhawk were approached by a UFO over Warren, Ohio about 10:20 p.m. Two brothers, Richard and Ken Montgomery, with Elizabeth Soverns and Rosalind Rians as passengers, were flying at about 4,000 feet over Warren; Richard Montgomery was at the controls.
“I noticed an object coming toward us from the direction of Youngstown to the southeast,” he related. “I swung over… to get a closer look when the object headed directly toward our airplane. It stopped and hung motionless in the air… momentarily, and as our aircraft came closer, it moved swiftly upward and came back at us from another angle.” Montgomery said the UFO appeared metallic and had a light beaming from its underside. He estimated it was from six to ten feet in diameter and from 16 to 20 feet tall.
The pilot maneuvered the plane several times, but the object kept following at a distance of from 150 to 200 yards. Then the UFO “suddenly sped in an easterly direction at amazing speed and was quickly out of sight.” During this encounter, control tower operators at Youngstown Municipal Airport received calls from area residents concerning “a dogfight between two aircraft in the skies over Warren.”
source: http://www.nicap.org/newlook/section_III.htm
The “Dogfight” Perspective: Elaborate on the reports from ground witnesses. Area residents calling the Youngstown Municipal Airport described the event as a “dogfight,” suggesting the UFO’s maneuvers were aggressive or highly unconventional compared to standard aircraft of the era. This adds a layer of external validation to the pilot’s account.
Technical Specifications: Discuss the specific dimensions mentioned—6 to 10 feet in diameter and 16 to 20 feet tall. This vertical orientation is unusual for classic “saucer” reports and aligns more with “pill” or “cylinder” shaped UAP.
Pilot Credibility: Mention that Richard Montgomery was at the controls of a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, a stable and common platform for observation. The fact that he actively attempted to maneuver toward the object shows a high level of pilot confidence and situational awareness during the encounter.
The Warren sighting remains a significant entry in Ohio’s UFO history due to the simultaneous corroboration between airborne and ground-based observers. While the Condon Committee was wrapping up its official Air Force investigation around this time, independent reports like Montgomery’s continued to demonstrate that high-credibility witnesses were encountering phenomena that conventional aviation simply could not explain.
