by Filip Coppens
On September 8, 1996, a strange UFO event took place in northern Holland (Netherlands). A local weatherman called for an inquiry in magazines and newspapers and on television. Several people contacted him, and the following is a synopsis of the events that have been learned so far.
More than ten people witnessed the event on the evening of September 8, 1996. Though unaware of each other's testimony, they gave identical statements.
Two large, round objects were seen, one staying in the air, the other descending almost to the
ground. This made for a good account, as the witnesses were able to state that the second object was larger than a normal helicopter. The entire sighting lasted about 30 minutes, from 1:00 till 1:30 in the morning.
At 1:10 am, a helicopter suddenly approached out of nowhere, towards the UFO. The helicopter could be heard as well as seen. It is most strange that a helicopter would fly around that area at that time (or even any other time) and that it would apparently be interested in the UFO. All witnesses agree that the helicopter pilot must have seen the object. Still, the pilot did not come forward when the call for witnesses occurred in the newspapers almost immediately following the sighting.
The witnesses stated the helicopter was equipped with a red, non-pulsating light. Inquiries with the Marines determined that they had no helicopter on reserve that night. Also, flying after 1:00 am was strictly forbidden for anyone above that area. But unofficial sources stated the helicopter might belong to the Ministry of the Interior or of Defense, and that it might be part of an unofficial inquiry into the nature of such "events." How the authorities would know this quickly about the sighting and presence of a UFO is, of course, not explained.
The possibility that the UFO was a result of a lasershow was ruled out, even more so when the witnesses were invited to attend just such a show. The low flying object, they stated, was illuminated entirely differently than that, and was hanging just above the ground. They said it was illuminated so brightly that the light hurt the eyes. Several witnesses stated that they were shaken after the encounter had finished, as it had been that "powerful" to see.
What's more, the following morning, at 6:40 am, a woman in the immediate vicinity of the
UFO sighting (though not aware one had taken place the previous night), stated she saw something "fall" out of the sky, like a crashing helicopter. But no impact was heard or seen, or reported.
Research into this encounter is currently at a standstill because of the desire of the authorities not to co-operate with the researchers. The authorities had promised to provide the weatherman with all kinds of documents, such as satellite photographs of the area, etc. But within days, they retracted their offer, and stated in so many words that they didn't want anything to do with the entire inquiry. Some people believe that there might be an interior struggle between the "normal authorities" and an unofficial inquiry that is taking place within the bowels of the government.
Original file name: CNI - Coppens.Holland UFOs
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