National Archives of Australia relesed files of Frederick Valentich incident

[uforadio]

Thanks to the efforts and Freedom of Information requests of researcher Keith Basterfield, National Archives of Australia has just released previously closed Department of Transport „V116/783/1047“ 315-pages file of Frederick Valentich's incident. It was previously believed that the file was destroyed.

For more information about the release and how to access the files, check Keith Basterfield's post here:
UFOs - scientific research: Valentich files released by Australian Government

Background information:
Other posts and annoucements about the release:
theozfiles: The VALENTICH File revealed
MUFON Forum - "Destroyed" missing Valentich file found
MUFON Forum - "Destroyed" missing Valentich file found
Valentich Case Files Finally Released , page 1
Valentich Case Files Finally Released , page 2

Decker/Klass debate where Valentich case was also debated:
And Time keeps moving on . . .
Don <-> Klass Debate in Denver 1992 | The Paracast Community Forums

Podcast interviews with Andrew Arnold about Valentich incident:
Kate Valentine Show:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheKateValentineUfoShow/~5/UyX1hF1sMQ4/1-6-12.mp3
The Unified Field:
The Unified Field (CKDU) - UFRS3E5-Andrew Arnold-VUFOA Australia
Australian Radio National episode devoted to Valentich incident (Frederick's brother interviewed):
The Valentich Mystery - Replay - ABC Radio National (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Rare documentaries about the case:
Australian Mosaic 1989 (from AUFORN archives:

Australian TV Show „The Extraordinary“

Unsolved Mysteries:

Sightings:

Best Wishes.
UFORadio
UFOPrintClip Index

 

[uforadio]

Here are new updates about Valentich documents.

Researcher Keith Basterfield just posted on his blog that the second file on Valentich incident is also available at the National Archives of Australia website thanks to efforts of the researcher Andrew Arnold. The second file is titled „VH-DSJ Light aircraft overdue King Island“ and it was owned by the Department of Transport's Marine Operation Centre – MARSAR (Marine Search and Rescue). Document is composed of the coastal search records. It is a chronological attempt to locate possible remains of Valentich's Cessna. More about the release, read Busterfield's post here:

http://ufos-scientificresearch.blogspot.com/2012/07/second-valentich-disappearance-file.html


For background info on the previous document, check Keith Basterfield's post here:
http://ufos-scientificresearch.blogspot.com/2012/06/valentich-files-released-by-australian.html

Thanks to Roberto Labanti for the lead.

Best Wishes.

UFORadio
http://ufoprintclip.x10.mx/

 

[Sentry]

Very nice collection on the case. Thanks!

 

[uforadio]

Here is the Keith's reply to the discrepancy of pages within the second MARSAR document (NAA has 217 pages but Keith has 292 – in the text below in red font:


Keith Basterfield
July 3, 2012 10:00 PM

Hi Giuliano

That is a good question. I have a hard physical copy of the file in front of me and there are 292 pages of documents here. Yet the NAA digital version has 217 pages as you say. I have just done a quick check of hard copy versus digital copy and there are double copies of some documents in the photocopied hard copy. Over the next few days I will check to see if this accounts for the difference between digital 217 and physical 292. I have had duplicate copies in hard physical photocopied files from the NAA before. This is probably the answer but I will check.
Keith.

 

[Sentry]

That's interesting. It sounds suspicious on the surface, perfect material for a cover-up conspiracy theory. The explanation of duplicated pages seems plausible and matches my own limited experience.

In files I've obtained, there was document duplication due to several reasons. Sometimes, additional copies sent to different departments, copies were attached to replies and other correspondence, and in other cases where a document was scanned, two copies or more were made of one oversized document. If I were passing these files on to someone else, I'd purge the duplicates and the inferior copies.

The average number of duplicates I've encountered is less than 15% of the total page count. With the difference of the page count in the Valentich file, I'd take a hard look to see if something was dropped. I suspect if there is a problem it is just a clerical error- Nothing nearly as mysterious as the case itself!

 

[uforadio]

Exactly. Probably it is nothing strange as there were double pages also in the previous file so no surprise there.

Collegue requested me to ask him more from the archival perspective (my impression) to have the best possible set of pages - the approach that I understand completely (not from the point that something important is witheld (that would make no sense as Keith already acquired released physical copy).

So, Keith's guess is probably a good one.

 

[uforadio]

Adelaidenow: 'Truth' was out there after all
July 06, 2012
Source: http://tinyurl.com/butdpmv

AN accidental discovery sheds new light on the mysterious disappearance of a pilot in 1978, writes Miles Kemp. Unlike a myriad other UFO sightings at the time, the claims of 20-year-old pilot Frederick Valentich could not easily be dismissed as a hoax.

Unlike others who said they had seen strange lights or craft in the sky, Valentich was mid-way through a detailed and recorded description of his sighting when he disappeared forever over Bass Strait.
"It is not an aircraft it is . . . ," an air-traffic control transcript records Valentich as saying at 7.09 and 28 seconds on the evening of 21 October 1978.

Valentich was part-way through a seven-minute conversation with Melbourne air traffic control about the craft. At 7.10pm and 20 seconds, Valentich said: "What I am doing right now is orbiting and the thing is just orbiting on top of me also it has a green light and sort of metallic, it's all shiny (on) the outside."
A long metallic clanging sound marked the end of the transmission and the beginning of a long battle to have all records of the disappearance made public.

<snip>

More at site...

 

[Sentry]

I read the article, but I have just a basic familiarity with this case. Do you think the article is objective and accurate?
Are the claims of finding wreckage new, and how does that reflect on it as a UFO case?

 

[mike]

Finding the wreckage, casts doubts on the suggestion he faked the transmission as a cover for his own planned disapearance.
So we are left with his description of seeing a UFO, and there being a metalic clang noise before he went off air..................

 

[Goggs Mackay]

This is one of those cases that, if true, proves a lot.

 

[dyingsun]

One of the few ones that still gives me goosebumps...

 

[uforadio]

I read the article, but I have just a basic familiarity with this case. Do you think the article is objective and accurate?
Are the claims of finding wreckage new, and how does that reflect on it as a UFO case?

It is a basic recap for ordinary readers to inform them about the release and in that sense it is more or a less fair article. It wasn't aimed to advanced users.

About wreckage - it is not conclusive that the wreckage that is mentioned actually came from Valentich Cessna. In fact, in two occassions pieces were found. First set of pieces was found during marine and aircraft search in 1978 together with oil slick and another one (that article is refering to) was found five years later. Second piece was found in May 1983 at the west coast of Flinder Island. 1978 pieces and oil slick could not be linked with Valentich's Cessna at the end and they were discarded preety quickly. As far as I am aware I didn't noticed Flnder Island piece in literature before this release.

For that 1983 find of the cowl flap there were some indications that piece maybe originated from the Valentich’s Cessna. Dr. Ian Jones from Ocean Sciences Division even notes a possibility that large bottom currents could move aircraft remains from eastern Bass Straits parts towards Flinders Islands where it was found. However, there was no definitive and conclusive evidence with those pieces at the end to establish the destiny of Valentich's Cessna. Other colleagues and readers commented that they would like to read more discussions about that piece in released documents, so more details could be learned. Unfortunately, no further probing on that issue is available within released material and case remained unresolved.

After the release of documents, case was extensively discussed on closed lists. As one colleague notes, in the sense of the 1983 cowl flap find, he finds it astonishing coincidence that item in question would wash ashore withing 500 meters of the at the Flinders Island airport (in the sense that is more likely that it came from some other Cessna in the mean time).

Anyway, there are many other fascinating details withing documents and many articles were published in different UFO journals (that I have most of them) during last 34 years. And of course, Haines' "Melbourne Episode: Case study of a missing pilot" is a classic - item that I currently don't have in my archives but working on it.

Best Wishes.

 

[mike]

From the article

What is significant about the file, Mr Basterfield argues, is that for the first time it is revealed that parts of aircraft wreckage with partial serial numbers were found in Bass Strait five years after the disappearance.
Mr Basterfield says Valentich's aircraft serial numbers fell within the range of those found on the wreckage, almost eliminating the theory that the pilot staged his disappearance on the way to King Island.

I suppose almost eliminating isnt the same as eliminating

 

[uforadio]

Mike Tarbel just posted on UFO Updates his remarks about engine cowling (1983 find). It is addendum to his comments that he made previously on closed list few weeks ago that I mentioned (I was quoting him in that part about Flinder Island airport within my previous post).

You can read his comments here:
Re: Oz National Archives Release Valentich File

Best Wishes.

 

[denisewilliams]

Australian government tries it best to be transparent with its people, due peaceful , Affordable and safe environment there im planning to Australia Study abroad program this will help me to experience real life there with quality education.

 

[Tyger]

This is one of those compelling cases. Much to read which I have yet to do.

But one point: the very report of the clanging metal sound fits in 'too perfectly' with pre-concieved notions. Would a UFO really have 'grappling arms' that would 'clang' as the plane was hoisted up? What kind of technology is that? Or is the assumption that his plane bumped into the object and that's why there was a metallic noise?

Has anyone ever tried to determine what the metal sound could have naturally been? Has there ever been a characterization of the metal noise? Like what it 'sounded like' - metal being crushed? or 'metal against metal'?

He was saying it was not an aircraft - then what could it have been? Not an aircraft yet it is 'flying' above him? Not an aircraft - as in not any aircraft he recognized? Or not an aircraft, period. Then what is it right above him?

What kind of man was Frederick Valentich? Maybe all my questions will be answered when I watch the videos. Here I go!

 

[mike]

There isnt as far as i can see anything in the narrative to suggest 'grappling arms'

Valentich said: "What I am doing right now is orbiting and the thing is just orbiting on top of me also it has a green light and sort of metallic, it's all shiny (on) the outside."
A long metallic clanging sound marked the end of the transmission and the beginning of a long battle to have all records of the disappearance made public.

We could just as easily postulate metal items inside the cockpit hitting the roof as a tractor beam was switched on

Ive long been fascinated by this case.

He gave a recorded description of a metallic craft thats "not an aircraft", i think we can safely assume as a pilot himself his use of that phrase would be given to mean not an aeroplane.

Another aspect to this story is if true, its possibly an abduction account, since he was never seen again.
It could also just be a mid air accident too, ie he collided with the craft and crashed into the sea.

As always there is plenty to speculate on , but what makes this one useful is he was transmitting his observations when it happened.

On the surface of it certainly seems like he saw something in the air that as a pilot he could rule out as being an "aircraft"
The description of a green light and a metallic surface suggests something other than a natural phenomena

 

[Tyger]

There isnt as far as I can see anything in the narrative to suggest 'grappling arms'.

We could just as easily postulate metal items inside the cockpit hitting the roof as a tractor beam was switched on.

Ah, the metallic noise - and I made the jump to 'grappling arms' [what decade am I living in? Ha!] - but yes, if magnetism was present, I see what you're saying. Has there been any analysis of the metallic noise, I wonder.

I've long been fascinated by this case.

He gave a recorded description of a metallic craft that's "not an aircraft", I think we can safely assume as a pilot himself his use of that phrase would be given to mean not an aeroplane.

So intriguing - not a airplane, so what was it?

One suggestion in the first video is that it was an experimental military drone. Is that a real possibility? Something went askew and there was a collision? But wouldn't radar have picked up something on the other craft? [I am just now going to listen to the 2nd video so I am not fully informed yet.]

I at once wondered if he had become disoriented and was flying upside down - but that quickly got discounted by the commentator as being impossible for the Cessna - motor would have stalled after a second or two and the conversation went on for over 7 minutes.

One interesting suggestion is he was seeing his own refelction - or just reflections - in the water. Not sure how that would have worked.

Another aspect to this story is if true, its possibly an abduction account, since he was never seen again.

Or never seen again because he died that night - in a collision.

It could also just be a mid air accident too, ie he collided with the craft and crashed into the sea.

Yep.

As always there is plenty to speculate on , but what makes this one useful is he was transmitting his observations when it happened.

Yes - and so all the more mysterious.

On the surface of it certainly seems like he saw something in the air that as a pilot he could rule out as being an "aircraft".

The description of a green light and a metallic surface suggests something other than a natural phenomena

Yep.

 

[Tyger]

Mike, the pilot [Valentich] said he was 'orbiting' the other craft - what did he mean by that? Do you know what maneuver he was doing? It's sounds pretty intricate for a new pilot. I have an image that he was trying to circle it but it maintained position above him - though he does say that it vanished as he was looking at it. Then he mentions his engine is 'coughing' - so he's in trouble.

I see now that the tower indicated no radar tracking of another craft near him. Valentich describes a 'terrible brightness'. Hmmm, the 'Sightings' video appears to have numerous problems - major one being an inaccurate rendering of the tower/pilot conversation, as one poster states: "This one is the incorrect version, the transcript which was published in the papers was the correct version. Sadly, 'Sightings' changed the wording , no one knows why. It's to their eternal discredit. This case stands alone and does not need any 'Creative Scriptwriting' to be an interesting case."

His father describes him as 'honest and hardworking, a straight-shooter'.

Really interesting is all the ufo sightings - or lights in the sky sightings - that night from the ground. Then there is the Roy Manifold picture - which to me looks like a fake.

Interesting that Valentich believed in ufos - that when younger he was actually afraid of them - according to his father.

 

[ALPHA ROMEO UNIFORM]

Always thought did he see something come out of the ocean and image the extreme fear in his voice by the wording of the transcripts. Also was all the recording tape actually put to pen and paper ??