Baldwinsville, NY: Oval UFO causes blackout
A police officer (dispatcher) and his family saw an oval object over a wooded area near their home in Baldwinsville, New York, on April 5, 1978. It emitted flashes that caused a blackout affecting 3,000 homes, confirmed by radar and helicopter.
Background
Sighting
On April 6, 1978 at 22:05, police officer Dennis Kiteveles and his family noticed an oval object above a wooded area beside their home near Baldwinsville, New York. The object moved back and forth, occasionally climbing slightly, and showed a narrow band of blue, green, and yellow lights around its middle.
Course of Events
At 22:15 the object fired two bright flashes, which arced down to the ground. The lights then went out in the family's house and in some 3,000 other households in the Jordan-Elbridge area. A police helicopter registered the flashes and the ensuing outage, but the object accelerated and drew away rapidly.
Evidence
Radar at Syracuse Hancock International Airport recorded a target at exactly the time and place of the observation. Several witnesses in the area reported a similar or the same object.
Significance
The case combines a visual sighting with electromagnetic effects, official radar confirmation, and police observation, which makes it one of the well-documented cases of 1978.