Cash Landrum case

[Fud]

Everybody seems to be looking for Army Chinook helos, but has anybody
looked at the Marines CH 46 Sea Knight helos, and what bases, or Iwo Jima class
helicopter carrier was near by at that time?

 

[Sentry]

I'm not aware of the extent of the investigation, but in his book, John Schuessler briefly mentions The USS New Orleans as a carrier candidate. (Page on ship)

As, I recall, the ship's records ruled it out as a possibility, but it's worth taking another look to see if any others were in the Gulf of Mexico at the time. There were a lot of classified operations running then, many related to a secret plan for a second rescue attempt of the hostages in Iran. I'm not familiar with searching Navy records, so if anyone can check the 1980 records to locate the candidates, that'd be a good resource for the case.

 

[boomerang]

This is a plausible area of investigation. The proximity of Cash-Landrum to the gulf coast makes this a possibility. And all of the helicopters (assuming they were really helicopters) needn't have been scrambled from only one facility. Some by land, some by sea....quite possible.

 

[Randall]

Misidentified Weather Phenomena Theory:

Excerpt: "Usually flame reflections appear as pale grey or bright orange-red streaks or bars of light, oriented vertically. They can last for minutes, even hours, disappearing and reappearing just like a light that is switched on and off. Reports have been collected for any time of the year but with a clear preponderance for cold winter nights."
​

Source: http://www.blueblurrylines.com/2013/11/cash-landrum-theory-analysis.html

 

[Charlie Prime]

For any other newbies like me who didn't remember who is Mr. Cash Landrum...

Cash-Landrum incident - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Sentry]

For any other newbies like me who didn't remember who is Mr. Cash Landrum...

Cash-Landrum incident - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charlie, the Wikipedia entry is a polluted errors and rumors, but this article is a good account of the case facts:
NICAP: The Cash-Landrum UFO Encounter

Here's another good intro, the audio of the call by one of the witnesses to the National UFO Reporting Center:

 

[Charlie Prime]

Thanks!

I travel through that area. It's flat as a pancake. There is very little air traffic in that area, military or commercial (compared to the oil rig service choppers further south along the coast, or the military stuff way out west in San Antonio).

 

[EQ42]

I'm not aware of the extent of the investigation, but in his book, John Schuessler briefly mentions The USS New Orleans as a carrier candidate. (Page on ship)

As, I recall, the ship's records ruled it out as a possibility, but it's worth taking another look to see if any others were in the Gulf of Mexico at the time. There were a lot of classified operations running then, many related to a secret plan for a second rescue attempt of the hostages in Iran. I'm not familiar with searching Navy records, so if anyone can check the 1980 records to locate the candidates, that'd be a good resource for the case.

Sentry, have you come across any secret aircraft that might fit the description of the object? Have any been offered as an explanation?

 

[Vance]

Right now I'm looking at the possibility this case and Bentwaters are related and human controlled vehicles.

 

[Sentry]

Sentry, have you come across any secret aircraft that might fit the description of the object? Have any been offered as an explanation?

There are a few possibilities, but no convincing matches. The theories offered have been fantastic, such as the Nuclear-powered troop transport or Alien Reproduction Vehicle, and even with imagination, these just don't fit the known facts.

That's why many who have tried to crack the case have focused on the helicopters, which should be a easier mystery to crack. Uncovering even just a few details about where they came from and who was flying them should provide leads into exposing the other unknowns. Finding the helicopters has proven to be just as tough and some have been convinced that they, too were otherworldly!

My best guess as for the continuing secrecy in the event is that it was an operation by military special forces. The problem is, it is illegal to do such things on US soil, and worse it was near populated areas.

 

[trainedobserver]

My best guess as for the continuing secrecy in the event is that it was an operation by military special forces. The problem is, it is illegal to do such things on US soil, and worse it was near populated areas.

I think we can pretty much toss out the idea that the parties involved have concerns about the legality of their actions or public safety. These are the lovely people who waged atomic war on their own populace through open air testing of nuclear weapons. There is a long list of illegal and immoral tests conducted on the public by government institutions. They will do pretty much what they are ordered to do by their command structure. I lean harder toward the secret terrestrial technology hypothesis for this case than anything else.

 

[EQ42]

There are a few possibilities, but no convincing matches. The theories offered have been fantastic, such as the Nuclear-powered troop transport or Alien Reproduction Vehicle, and even with imagination, these just don't fit the known facts.

That's why many who have tried to crack the case have focused on the helicopters, which should be a easier mystery to crack. Uncovering even just a few details about where they came from and who was flying them should provide leads into exposing the other unknowns. Finding the helicopters has proven to be just as tough and some have been convinced that they, too were otherworldly!

My best guess as for the continuing secrecy in the event is that it was an operation by military special forces. The problem is, it is illegal to do such things on US soil, and worse it was near populated areas.

Why do you think it was an operation by military special forces? Do you think the craft was something meant to be used by special forces? Where is your best guess on where the helicopters were based? If this story had been looked at in terms of a government scandal and didn't have the ufo stigma, I think you could have got the media to take it seriously and far more would be known.

 

[Sentry]

John Schuessler looked into this idea, but he never defined it very well. Lt. Col. George Sarran also looked into the source of the helicopters, including special forces operations, but results were negative. Most of my investigation in this area is following leads introduced by UK researcher James Easton. He demonstrated that Task Force 158 was created for a second rescue attempt of american Hostages held in Iran. They used modified helicopters, including CH-47s in order to conduct long-range covert nocturnal missions. this group was based out of Ft. Campbell, KY, but ran exercises as far west as California. The big problem with this theory is that there is no documentation of their flights continuing thorough December. Task Force 158 is a great suspect, but there's no evidence, and there should be piles of it with so much manpower and equipment involved.

I alluded to this earlier, given that comprehensive searches for the helicopters turned up nothing, Dr. J. Allen Hynek considered that they might be a "projection" in connection with the UFO: Dr. J. Allen Hynek on the Cash-Landrum UFO case

 

[boomerang]

Finding the helicopters has proven to be just as tough and some have been convinced that they, too were otherworldly!

My favorite theory. Consider the hundreds of credible cases of military jets having been seen chasing UFOs compared to the almost non-existent number of pilots who have come forward to admit participation. It just doesn't add up.

 

[EQ42]

John Schuessler looked into this idea, but he never defined it very well. Lt. Col. George Sarran also looked into the source of the helicopters, including special forces operations, but results were negative. Most of my investigation in this area is following leads introduced by UK researcher James Easton. He demonstrated that Task Force 158 was created for a second rescue attempt of american Hostages held in Iran. They used modified helicopters, including CH-47s in order to conduct long-range covert nocturnal missions. this group was based out of Ft. Campbell, KY, but ran exercises as far west as California. The big problem with this theory is that there is no documentation of their flights continuing thorough December. Task Force 158 is a great suspect, but there's no evidence, and there should be piles of it with so much manpower and equipment involved.

I alluded to this earlier, given that comprehensive searches for the helicopters turned up nothing, Dr. J. Allen Hynek considered that they might be a "projection" in connection with the UFO: Dr. J. Allen Hynek on the Cash-Landrum UFO case

To me the following scenario seems plausible: a top secret craft was being tested and the people responsible for the test lost control of it- it probably veered way off course, maybe even landing at some point. When it began having problems they dispatched a number of helicopters, perhaps from Fort Hood, to retrieve it. The people testing the craft were eventually able to regain at least some control of it and it was able to make it's way back from whence it came. Or maybe the Chinooks were flying alongside it all along in case it went out of control and they had to make a sudden retrieval. But why over such a populated area? That's why I'm thinking it had to go way off course. Where is the most isolated area in the vicinity of where this occurred? Out over the Gulf? There have to be documents that describe what happened that night and there have to be people who know. It's incredibly frustrating that no really well connected reporters, like from the New York Times or Washington Post, have looked into this. Here we are over 30 years later and we pretty much know as little today as when this occurred. If only this had not been branded a ufo event at the beginning, I think you could have got shows like 60 Minutes interested. But those sorts of news programs are loathe to touch a ufo story in a serious manner. By the way, your website is an AMAZING resource. Maybe one of these days someone will contact you with the answer to this mystery. That would be nice.

 

[Trajanus]

To me the following scenario seems plausible: a top secret craft was being tested and the people responsible for the test lost control of it- it probably veered way off course, maybe even landing at some point.

I don't buy that. I think it was under intelligent control all along. It descended right near Cash et al, and after it was finished cooking them, it came back up. Maybe ETs wanted to test the effects of radiation on humans. Granted the excess radiation may suggest a malfunction. Still, you'd think that by now, any technology dating from 1980 would be old and revealed.

When it began having problems they dispatched a number of helicopters, perhaps from Fort Hood, to retrieve it.

How? AFAIK they just flew alongside it.

Or maybe the Chinooks were flying alongside it all along

From what I've read, the witnesses didn't see choppers until after the thing rose away from them.

But why over such a populated area? That's why I'm thinking it had to go way off course.

That's why I think it wasn't a government craft.

 

[Randall]

John Schuessler looked into this idea, but he never defined it very well. Lt. Col. George Sarran also looked into the source of the helicopters, including special forces operations, but results were negative. Most of my investigation in this area is following leads introduced by UK researcher James Easton. He demonstrated that Task Force 158 was created for a second rescue attempt of american Hostages held in Iran. They used modified helicopters, including CH-47s in order to conduct long-range covert nocturnal missions. this group was based out of Ft. Campbell, KY, but ran exercises as far west as California. The big problem with this theory is that there is no documentation of their flights continuing thorough December. Task Force 158 is a great suspect, but there's no evidence, and there should be piles of it with so much manpower and equipment involved.

I alluded to this earlier, given that comprehensive searches for the helicopters turned up nothing, Dr. J. Allen Hynek considered that they might be a "projection" in connection with the UFO: Dr. J. Allen Hynek on the Cash-Landrum UFO case

Just wondering if you happen to know ( or be ) one of these guys ( Agent D or Agent K ): http://theobjectreport.blogspot.ca/2014/01/the-cash-landrum-incident-evidence.html

 

[Sentry]

Just wondering if you happen to know ( or be ) one of these guys ( Agent D or Agent K ): http://theobjectreport.blogspot.ca/2014/01/the-cash-landrum-incident-evidence.html

Thanks for noticing the article. No, my identity is out now, not that it matters, my aliases are sentry, sentry579 & carddown.
I wrote "Agent K," and offered to lend a hand with troubleshooting some factual errors in the piece, some of which have now been updated. There's some interesting speculative material that I decided not to touch- but I'm glad they are considering connections I'm not pursuing.

But, the latest issue of Fortean Times mentions the new developments in the case, and I've got an article appearing in the UFO Today #2, an epic expansion on some things first discussed here.

Things are heating up with this case, which is just what's needed to raise its profile to help shake loose some leads or buried files!

 

[ChairGraveyard]

The problem is, it is illegal to do such things on US soil, and worse it was near populated areas.

Outside of ufology there is a rich history of illegal military projects conducted in populated areas on US soil. Just sayin'.

 

[RadarRyder]

I remember this case from when I was a young boy. If I remember correctly this family appeared on the television show "That's Incredible" or something to the like. I think I remember that Cash and the Landrums were mocked and belittled by the host......(shocker!!!!, I know right!!) I'm guessing the choppers, definately not Marine Corps helo's, because the Marines did not use Chinooks, and their primary helo was the CH-46, Sea Knight. I think it's been settled that the helo's were Chinooks. If any current known U.S. Military branch took part in this incident, I'm guessing that they helo's would have been U.S. Army helo's from the Fort Hood area. And of course everyone knows that this incident would have been classified "Top Secret" so no follow up investigation would have detected anything. I'm not going to rule out CIA involvement, and in fact was probably the agency monitoring this event. I don't believe that this was some sort of test aircraft, as more than likely during the 80's, tests of such an experimental aircaft would have been carried out at places like Area 51. This was more than likely some sort of non-terrestrial craft as, according to witness accounts, the helo's appeared to be attempting to force the craft to land. The radiation sickness and burns suffered by Cash and the Landrums were linked to Ionizing Radiation, which can come from natrual or artificial sources

Ionizing radiation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Ionizing (or ionising) radiation is radiation composed of particles that individually carry enough kinetic energy to liberate an electron from an atom or molecule, ionizing it.[1] Ionizing radiation is generated through nuclear reactions, either artificial or natural, by very high temperature (e.g. plasma discharge or the corona of the Sun), via production of high energy particles in particle accelerators, or due to acceleration of charged particles by the electromagnetic fields produced by natural processes, from lightning to supernova explosions."

"It has many practical uses in medicine, research, construction, and other areas, but presents a health hazard if used improperly. Exposure to ionizing radiation causes damage to living tissue, and can result in mutation, radiation sickness, cancer, and death."