Baldwinsville, NY: Oval UFO causes blackout
Police officer Dennis Kiteveles and family saw an oval object moving over woods near their home in Baldwinsville, New York, on April 6, 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 red, 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.