1966: Cigar-shaped object lands in Yorktown, Iowa

THINK ABOUTIT LANDING REPORT

On the morning of April 23, 1966, a significant Close Encounter of the Second Kind (CE-II) occurred in Yorktown, Iowa. Ronald E. Johnson, a local farmer, witnessed a 60-foot cigar-shaped craft land within 50 feet of his residence during a foggy night. The object remained on the ground for approximately 20 minutes, emitting a “blood red” glow and explosive cracking sounds. Physical evidence discovered the following morning included dual rows of circular landing impressions, anomalous markings on power line poles, and notched utility wires. Despite a report being filed with the Deputy Sheriff and purportedly sent to Offutt Air Force Base, the incident remains an unexplained case in the annals of midwestern ufology.

Date: April 23, 1966

Sighting Time: 2:10 a.m.

Day/Night: Night

Location: Route #2 in Yorktown, a few miles west of Clarinda, Iowa

Urban or Rural: Rural

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: 20 minutes

No. of Object(s):  1

Size of Object(s): 60 feet in length

Distance to Object(s): 50 feet

Shape of Object(s): cigar-shaped

Color of Object(s): dull finish, “blood red” glow

Number of Witnesses: 1

Source: http://www.nicap.org/newlook/section_VI.htm

Summary/Description: At 2:10 a.m. on the morning of April 23, Ronald E. Johnson, a farmer living on Route #2 in Yorktown, a few miles west of Clarinda, Iowa, was awakened by a loud roar. On getting up and going to his window, which faced south, he saw a cigar-shaped object, approximately 60 feet in length, landing in a field within 50 feet of his house.

Full Report

At 2:10 a.m. on the morning of April 23, Ronald E. Johnson, a farmer living on Route #2 in Yorktown, a few miles west of Clarinda, Iowa, was awakened by a loud roar. On getting up and going to his window, which faced south, he saw a cigar-shaped object, approximately 60 feet in length, landing in a field within 50 feet of his house.

The object, which had apparently come out of the north, came into view as it moved over the house. The night was foggy and a light rain was falling at the time. No moon or stars were visible. The roar of the object ceased as it landed. On the end of the object closest to the house, Johnson saw a brilliant red light, which bathed the area in a “blood red” glow. On the farthest end, he saw two blue lights approximately eight inches in diameter, which extended above the body of the object. The surface of the object was of a dull finish, except for an amber glow that extended partway along the bottom. The object rested on a series of from 17 to 20 long “legs.”

After landing, the object gave off a series of loud, explosive, “cracking” noises, like gunshots, at regular intervals. Johnson said the air was filled with an odor which he described as similar to ozone. He saw nothing leaving or entering the object. He watched it sitting motionless in his field for about 20 minutes and finally went back to bed. He got up a short time later to see if it was still there, but it had either departed silently or had turned out its lights. The explosive sounds were no longer heard.

In the morning, Johnson discovered that sometime during the night his livestock had all bolted to the far end of the pasture and appeared to be “acting up considerably.” They would not return for feeding that morning. Examining the landing site he found a series of circular impressions six inches in diameter and spaced alternately in two rows. The distance between impressions was two and a half feet. To the east of the landing impressions, he found a second set of imprints, round on one side and square-edged on the other, and divided at the squared-off edge into three sections (see diagram). These impressions were not made by his cattle, according to the farmer.

One other peculiar detail was noticed: two power line poles appeared to have fresh depressions in the wood at regular intervals as if it had been recently climbed. The poles were smeared with dirt. Wires rising on the poles had small, regular-spaced notches. Johnson reported the incident to Deputy Sheriff Dick Hunt, who made an investigation. A complete report was said to have been sent to Offut Air Force base; however, Johnson was not queried by any official investigators, and if the report is among those in the official files, it was not released to the University of Colorado, who requested information on it in July 1967.

Additional details were obtained for NICAP by member Dennis Hicks.

Researchers Notes

• Classification: This case is a textbook CE-II due to the reported physical traces (landing gear impressions) and physiological effects on animals.

• The 1966 Wave: This sighting occurred during a period of intense UFO activity across the United States. Only weeks prior, the famous “swamp gas” incidents in Michigan had put the Air Force’s Project Blue Book under intense public scrutiny.

• Acoustic Anomalies: The “explosive cracking” noises described by Johnson are unusual. Many UFO reports feature total silence or a low hum; cracking sounds are often associated with high-voltage electrical discharge or rapid thermal expansion/contraction of a craft’s hull.

• Infrastructure Interference: The notched power lines and smeared dirt on the poles are highly specific details. If the object was “climbing” or anchoring to the poles, it suggests a need for terrestrial grounding or an interest in the power grid itself.

• Missing Documentation: The fact that the report was allegedly sent to Offutt Air Force Base but never reached the Condon Committee (University of Colorado) is a significant “red flag” for researchers investigating the transparency of military UFO files during the 1960s.

The Yorktown landing is characterized by the high degree of physical interaction between the craft and the environment. Witness Ronald Johnson described a massive, dull-finished object supported by 17 to 20 “legs” that created a distinct ozone odor in the rural air. The craft’s presence had a profound effect on local livestock, which were found in a state of agitation and refused to return for feeding the next morning. This animal reaction, combined with the “blood red” illumination that bathed the farmstead, places this event among the more visceral landing reports of the mid-1960s.

Beyond the visual sighting, the physical traces left behind provided a secondary layer of mystery. Johnson identified circular imprints six inches in diameter and a separate set of geometric tracks—round on one side and squared-off on the other—that did not match any known farm equipment or animal. Perhaps most baffling were the fresh depressions on nearby power poles and notched wires, suggesting the craft or its components had physically engaged with the local electrical infrastructure. Though the case was documented by NICAP, it was notably absent from the University of Colorado’s 1967 inquiry, suggesting a possible lapse or suppression in the official reporting chain.