The Coyne Helicopter Incident (1973)
On October 18, 1973, the Army National Guard helicopter piloted by Captain Lawrence Coyne was flying over Mansfield, Ohio, when a gray metallic cylindrical object with a red light at the nose, a white light at the tail, and a green beam came to a stop in front of the aircraft. The helicopter, which had been descending to avoid a collision, inexplicably climbed 1,000 feet without the crew touching the controls.
Witnesses
4 servicemen (helicopter crew)
Why it endures
A full, decorated military crew, and a press panel that awarded the report as the "most scientifically valuable" of 1973.
Official version (contested)
No military or meteorological explanation was ever officially accepted; the helicopter's abnormal climb remains unexplained.