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   SUBJECT: TENNESSEE SIGHTING REPORT, 7/89                     FILE: UFO1248   
      
      
      
   Date of Sighting: July 18, 1989   
   Location of Sighting: Memphis, Tennessee   
   Time of Sighting: 2100 - 2127 local.   
   Witnesses: John W. Komar, MUFON State Director for Tennessee.   
              Madeline Rauer, fiance.    
      
      
   At approximately 2100 hours, tuesday night both witnesses were returning home    
   from dinner out and shopping.  About four miles from home in Southwest Tenn-   
   essee, a bright light was noticed in the night sky.    
      
   Weather conditions were partially cloudy with patches of clouds, clear sky    
   otherwise, stars in clear areas easily visible.  Temperature 76 degrees,    
   humidity 91%, dew point 73%, barometric pressure 29.87.   
      
   Light was sighted in a westerly direction, over the state of Arkansas, across   
   the Mississippi River.  Light was five times brighter than any stars in view.   
   Witnesses arrived home and continued to view object from back yard, although    
   trees in area partially blocked view.     
      
   Initial sighting placed the object at 70 degrees above the horizon.  At 2115    
   object was about 50 degrees above the horizon, which placed it behind trees    
   in area.  Witnesses drove two miles farther west to a earthen dike about one    
   mile from Mississippi River, in a clearing.  Object was still visible, same    
   brightness, but slowly descending.  At 2127 object disappeared from view in    
   less than one second.   
      
   Witnesses drove 200 feet up dike, which placed them at about 60 feet    
   elevation, above the surrounding countryside.  Object was not sighted at new    
   location.   
      
   SUMMARY     
      
   Bright object was initially sighted with eyes only.  At home, binoculars were    
   used, Fujinon Meibo, 7 x 50. Prismatic, individual focusing, B & L type, air    
   tight, marine grade.  Diameter of exit pupil 7.1 mm.  Relative brightness    
   50.4.     
      
   Witnesses tried to use telescope but could not locate in spotting scope    
   mounted atop telescope.   
      
   Same binoculars were used later at second location.  Witness had lowered    
   binoculars and looked at object with eyes only for approximately two seconds    
   before it disappeared.  By disappearing is meant it vanished from sight, un-   
   able to determine whether object accelerated away very quickly, but light    
   disappeared in less than one second.   
      
   Both witnesses are credible, Madeline having worked for a major airline for    
   ten years in various locations, John having worked for a major airline for    
   twenty two years in various locations.    
      
   Witnesses home is located about twelve miles from Memphis International    
   Airport, away from the landing and takeoff patterns.  When object was in    
   sight, normal aircraft were also in view, some in the landing pattern, some    
   having just taken off, most with their landing lights on.  Because of the air    
   traffic, a comparison could be made with the object and it's relative    
   brightness and the aircraft in various attitudes and altitudes, both    
   approaching the witnesses and moving away from the witnesses, with landing    
   lights on and with the lights off.  The brightness of the UFO could be    
   compared with an aircraft descending towards the witnesses with landing    
   lights on at a distance of about two miles, which would have enabled the    
   witnesses to discern that the object was indeed an aircraft, as strobe lights    
   would also have been visible.  For each aircraft viewed, strobe lights were    
   clearly visible, although some were quite a distance away, reaching ten miles   
   distance from the viewers.   
      
   The bright object witnessed slowly descended, with no rhythmic pulsation of    
   the intensity of the light apparent, although when viewed thru the binoculars    
   a red hue could be seen.   
      
   Having viewed the object for approximately 27 minutes, it is unlikely that    
   the object was an aircraft in a landing pattern of the nearby airport.   
      
   When an aircraft turns off its landing lights, there is a dimming of the    
   apparent light, from full brightness to off, which takes approximately four   
   seconds.  This was not the case in this sighting.   
      
   At 2310 hours local a call was made to the West Memphis, Arkansas Police    
   Department, and the officer reported that no calls were received concerning a    
   sighting.  When asked if they had an helicopter in the air, they replied    
   that they do not have a helicopter.   
      
   At 2320 the South branch of the Memphis, Tennessee Police Department were    
   called and asked the same questions.  Although the Police Department does    
   have a helicopter, it was not up at any time prior to the call, as the pilots    
   were asked and replied in the negative.   
      
   The airport control tower was also called, and they reported no sightings.   
      
   An interesting side note to the incident is worth mentioning.  While driving    
   between the home of the witnesses and the earthen dike, three cows were on    
   the road as they drove around a curve, swerving the car to avoid them.  They    
   were not there 20 minutes later.  Also, when the call was placed to the    
   Memphis, Tennessee Police, the telephone call connected with the phone call    
   of two other people already in progress, plus the police department officer.   
   Each telephone call had no bearing with the other, yet each person could hear    
   all participants as clear as if the call were deliberately made.            
      
      
      
   SIGHTING REPORT CLASSIFICATION   
      
      
   HYNEK: DE - 1   
      
   BERLINER: 1 - 4   
      
   SPEISER: S4/P4   
      
                    
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