MUFON case closed: UFO described as row of bright, rectangular windows

June 12, 5:13 PMUFO ExaminerRoger Marsh

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The CH-3E is the U.S. Air Force's version of the Sikorsky S-61.

Another case solved from New Jersey Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) Field Investigator Kristen Ann Winslet - a UFO described as a row of bright rectangular windows.

Summary Description of UFO

A row of bright rectangular windows with no visible exterior shape and dead silence. Seen in Englewood Cliffs, NJ on the night of November 1, 1963.

UFO Witness’s Statement

"We (four of us) were leaving the 9W bowling ally on route 9W it is set below the highway on the west side, so when pulling out onto 9W the car is inclined up so you are looking straight out the front windshield over the building on the other side of the road, the Prentice Hall building. There was a row of bright large rectangular windows with about a 2:1 height to width ratio. At this time I was finishing my studies in Aircraft Design, so I tried to think of what it was that I saw. The only thing that came into mind was the gondola of a blimp. I don’t recall why we couldn’t see the shape, but I couldn’t and was most fixed on the windows. We lowered the windows to see if we could hear the engines, but it was dead silent. We also could not determine as how far it was from us, so I drove the car across the highway to the left side of the Prentice Hall building while sticking our heads out and looking up to see if it would pass over us. It had been moving to the north at a crawling speed. We didn’t see it pass over us and when we got into the Prentice Hall parking lot we got out of the car and looked in every direction and there was no sign of it. When I went to school, I asked a professor if blimps fly at night and he said:No! When I got home, I called Langley fields in NJ where blimps are, and they also told me the same thing. I’ve always wondered what we saw that night and when I came across this web site I started checking it out and found several similar reports in this area over the last 30+ years and one only a few blocks away on the same highway, and one a few miles away near the GW bridge."

Number of Witnesses: 4

UFO’s Description:

A row of what appeared to be rectangular windows with a 2:1 ratio height to width based on the appearance from the ground identifiable due to an apparent internal lighting from inside the object. The object made no sound.

UFO Location to Witness(s):

Estimated Altitude: 101 - 500 ft
Degrees in Altitude: 15o
Object appeared to be above the Prentice Hall building

UFO’s Movement:

Traveling in a northerly direction at a very slow speed or hovering.

Witness(s) Interview:

The reporting witness, R, was contacted on the night of February 11, 2008 by telephone. The witness provided the same information as what was reported in the original report. No additional information was ascertained during the interview.

Follow-up to Witness:

A follow-up e-mail was sent to the witness immediately following the telephone interview in order to provide written conformation to the witness that his case was under investigation and to provide an avenue for him to provide additional information at his convenience:

Dear R,

MUFON is in receipt of your UFO Sighting report which occurred on November 1, 1963 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

I have been assigned to investigate your case and will begin doing so over the next few days.

Please feel free to contact me if you have additional information, I can be reached at this e-mail address.

I would like to thank you for your report and look forward to investigating your account to provide you with some closure regarding this event.

Sincerely,

Kristen Winslet

Case Analysis:

Based on the witness account of this event, the era in which it occurred as it relates to aeronautical technology at the time; three possible theories to this case were investigated:

1.) Gondola of a Blimp:

Based on the timing of the event late at night it was determined that this theory was not valid due to aeronautical safety regulations, the flight on blimps at night over a densely populated area near a large regional airport, (Newark International Airport) would make this possibility unlikely.

2.) Mid-Sized Helicopter:

The use of mid-sized helicopters in the early 1960’s for use in business or military activity was common. Due to the large metropolitan area in which this event occurred it is quite possible that this is what the witness(s) had seen. There was also a military port in the area as well as normal helicopter aviation use in the local area. As to an explanation to why there was no sound, as the witness(s) were traveling originally in a car, it is possible that the no sound was heard. Wind direction can shield sound in a short distance and/or accent it depending upon wind direction. The fact that the windows of the ‘craft’ had a ratio of 2:1, a common ratio for aircraft port and starboard windows, (see photo in addendum) this is most likely the windows that were described in the report. Because of a helicopter’s movements, it can be easily seen hovering over an area. The fact that no ‘beings’ were seen inside through the windows could also be easily explained as this craft was a helicopter, passengers would need to be securely seated and thus not moving around inside the cabin.

3.) Unknown Object “UFO”:

Due to the densely populated area where this event occurred and based on the premise that no clear evidence beyond what was reported to this event by the witness was made, it must be ascertained that the possibility of this sighting by the witness to be an Unidentified Flying Object or UFO can not be satisfactorily determined.

Reports Conclusion:

As no other witness(s) to this specific event has been identified and no other possible explanations to this event can be made by this witness or the other witnesses within this case as well as by this investigator as provided in this report, I believe that the evidence provided is inconclusive. However, the plausibility that the witness saw a helicopter is very possible.

As a result of this analysis and evaluation of all the evidence provided, I believe that this case file # US-NJ-1963.11.01 baring the introduction of any further evidence can be considered closed as ‘UNKNOWN’ in the MUFON Case Management System.

1.) Physical Site & Evidence:

SIKORSKY CH-3E:

The CH-3E is the U.S. Air Force's version of the Sikorsky S-61 amphibious transport helicopter developed for the U.S. Navy. The USAF initially operated six Navy HSS-2 (SH-3A) versions of the S-61 in 1962, eventually designating them CH-3A/Bs. They were so successful the USAF ordered 75 modified versions, designated CH-3C. First flown in June 1963, the CH-3C featured a new rear fuselage design with a ramp for vehicles and other cargo. When 41 CH-3Cs were updated with more powerful engines in 1966, they were redesignated CH-3Es, and 45 more were newly manufactured.

Later, 50 CH-3Es were modified for combat rescue missions with armor, defensive armament, self-sealing fuel tanks, a rescue hoist and in-flight refueling capability. They were redesignated HH-3Es and used extensively in Southeast Asia under the nickname "Jolly Green Giant." The CH-3E on display -- known as Black Mariah -- is a veteran of the Southeast Asia War. In 1965 it was attached to the 20th Helicopter Squadron. Painted flat black (hence the nickname), it was used for highly classified special missions.

TECHNICAL NOTES: (Crew: Three)
Armament: Provisions for two machine guns
Engines: Two General Electric T58-GE-5 turboshaft engines of 1,500 hp each
Maximum speed: 177 mph
Cruising speed: 154 mph
Range: 779 miles with external fuel tanks
Ceiling: 21,000 ft.
Main rotor diameter: 62 ft.
Fuselage length: 73 ft.
Height: 18 ft. 1 in.
Weight: 22,050 lbs. loaded
Serial number: 63-9676