Narrative of UFO Events at Minot AFB
on 24 October 1968
6. Final Ground-visual UFO Observations (4:26-5:34)
At the time when the B-52 was still flying around the second traffic pattern and observing the stationary UFO on or near the ground ahead of the aircraft (a location to the south southeast of N-1), the Base Operations Dispatcher noted an object ostensibly reported by Bond southwest of N-1, moving north:
4:26. Object direct S/W of N 1 moving north then lights went out. A B-52 went out to location of sighting and saw object and had on radar 20,000 feet. Object followed B-52 to fifteen miles from base. During this time B-52 lost radio contact on all frequencies. At this time N-7 lost sight of object. B-52 went around again and negative contact.
4:40. B-52 landed.[137]
The dispatcher was apparently not privy to the pilot-RAPCON communications during the second go-around, and unaware of the B-52 pilot’s air-visual observation and overflight of the UFO on or near the ground. However, he did continue to monitor the November Security Alert Team of Jablonski and Adams, and Flight Security Controller Bond.
After the B-52 passed by on the way to the base, O’Connor and Isley returned to their maintenance tasks at N-7, and eventually headed back to base. Jablonski and Adams also started back to N-1 on patrol, periodically observing the UFO in the west. Jablonski recalls that by this time Adams was feeling unnerved by the events, so he attempted to make light of the situation by jokingly referring to the then-popular TV show The Invaders.[138]
At the time the B-52 completed it’s terminal landing, the dispatcher noted:
4:40. N-7 picked up object again 3 miles west of site. Stationary — seems to be on the ground — lights bright orange then illuminated to white then white disappeared and green came on.
4:44. Disappeared
4:45. In sight — stationary position.
5:04. Object has moved — still west of N-7, now stationary once more.
5:10. 2 miles east of N-7 — object still 5 miles west of him approximately 50 feet off the ground stationary green lights.[139]
While driving back to N-1 on patrol, Jablonski and Adams continued observing a UFO in the west until their final observation in the west-southwest at 5:18. From N-1, Bond was also reporting a UFO that appeared to land and gradually disappear. In his AF-117, he noted that he observed the UFO for a period of 2 hours and 26 minutes (3:08-5:34).
In his AF-117 report, Jablonski noted:
Our attention was again caught when it appeared approx. 5 miles due west where it remained until it finally disappeared about 15 minutes afterwards.”[140]
And:
Prior to our return to N-1 it caught our attention again, this time WSW in location. It had appeared as before starting bright orange-red, to white and finally green. The object was stationary at the time and appeared approx. 1,000 FT above ground. The green light started to diminish slowly till no longer seen.[141]
Bond appears to confirm this last observation in the southwest, from his position at N-1: “Appeared to land and slowly changed to a dim green, after about 15 minutes it disappeared (gradually).”[142] He also recalled:
When they [Jablonski and Adams] got back to the LCF, we didn’t talk about it that much because everybody had already been talked out. In fact, I think when they came back in, they got out of the vehicle and secured it, came in, I don’t even think they got anything to eat. I think they sat and read, watched the tube, or whatever. They were awful quiet. [143]