Special report from Glen Means Indiana State Section Chief
Initial Report on
“Boom Event” on 16 April 2008
In
Kokomo, IN
As of 1240L, 21 April 2008
INTRODUCTION:
Below are listed the pertinent facts related to the loud boom event which occurred at 2225L the night of 16 April, 2008, in the vicinity of Kokomo, IN.
Thousands of people across much of Howard County heard/felt an aerial explosion. Hundreds of people who rushed or were already outside saw strange, unidentified lights and/or craft in the WNW portion of the sky immediately after the explosion. Several of those people took pictures and/or videotape of those strange, unidentified lights in the sky.
Two independent witnesses reported during interviews spotting a “huge, gray, circular craft” overhead immediately after the boom, which then left the area at high speed while leaving behind a “wide, smokey vapor trail. Police/Fire/EMS personnel conducted a number of ground searches immediately following hundreds of calls to the county’s 9-1-1 dispatch center.
Per recorded audio from main emergency response/public safety radio networks, a check by civilian authorities revealed neither Grissom ARB nor Ft Wayne ANG had any aircraft flying in the Kokomo vicinity during the event. Grissom personnel reported to civilian authorities that all military aircraft from those locations were on the ground by 2200L (the start of “quiet hours” regularly observed by many USAF bases in the vicinity of large civilian communities.).
Several recorded police radio transmissions indicated a crash site had been located involving a large debris field, and starting to barricade the surrounding area.
Approximately 90 minutes after the explosion, responding units were told via radio the boom was probably an astronomical event related to recent meteor showers, and ordered to stand down from search activities and return to station.
Local law enforcement/fire personnel could not remember the last time they were alerted to search duties for what was later claimed to be a “sonic boom”; one area sheriff told news media the following day it was the strangest case he’d seen in over 30 years.
The day after the explosion, news media broadcast an interview with the commander of the Ft Wayne ANG F-16 unit, saying one of his pilots had broken the sound barrier during aerial combat training, resulting in a sonic boom; he also said his squadron’s F-16s had released defensive flares which explained the lights in the sky (a direct contradiction of the previous night’s police radio traffic and to several witnesses and videos which show the lights were not defensive countermeasure flares).
A Purdue University professor of meteorology said, during an interview with news media, the boom and lights in the sky were likely caused by a meteor exploding in the skyover Kokomo, again directly challenging assertions and videos from witnesses where the lights/craft hovered or maneuvered unlike meteors.
The night following the explosion, ANG F-16s were reported flying in the area, with witnesses claiming that’s not the same as what they saw the previous night. That same night, more witnesses contacted MUFON to report new sightings of orange balls of light (OBOL) and triangular-shaped craft in local skies
NARRATIVE: The report which follows is a brief initial look at the events which occured in the vicinity of Kokomo, IN the evening of 16 April, 2008. Over the course of the last 3 days, a team of MUFON field investigators has interviewed dozens of witnesses in person and by telephone. These witnesses included first responders such as police, firemen, & EMTs, as well as pilots, former USAF and Navy flyers, and regular citizens.
In addition to data collected from the interviews, the team also collected photographs and videos taken during the event. Nearly all of the data collected regards post-event details.
Similar to recent investigations of area OBOL sightings, nearly all the data collected reflects fearfulness or uneasiness on the part of the witnesses; in a few cases even paranoia. The facts presented are in chronological order and include excerpts of audio recordings from police and fire response communication frequencies.
Wednesday 16 April 2008
Radio Scanner Traffic
2225-2230 911 lines light up with reports of explosion - confusion reigns
2230-2240 units assigned and given directions for search - FD says they have acft down or poss acft down.
2240-2245 initial units arrive at assigned sectors and begin searching for debris, wreckage, fires, and evidence of the results of the aerial explosion.
2245-2255 talk about setting up perimeter around only known debris and large debris field and holding responders back to stage nearby.
2255-2315 calls to ISP air units, FAA, Grissom and Ft Wayne all acft accounted for, with statement by Grissom relayed that all their and Ft Wayne ANG planes landing by 2200.
2315-2320 witness reports of explosions and fireballs continue to stream in to 9-1-1 center and to searching police units as they continue combing the area.
2320-2328 indications of an astronomical event are discussed and units begin to stand down.
2328-2335 additional witness reports of fireballs disintegrating in the sky support astronomical event theory; most units are ordered to stand down.
2356 order is given by all dispatchers to suspend all search and recovery ops.
Witness reports:
Witnesses inside at time of explosion said houses shook, windows rattled; many felt a bomb had gone off or a plane had crashed. Many went outside searching for indications of the cause. Many reported seeing OBOLs and/or strange craft post-explosion and felt fearful. A few witnesses reported hearing things fall onto their roofs.
A few witnesses already outside when explosion occured realized the boom came from the air down and after initially ducking looked up to see a variety of sights to include OBOLs, triangular patterns of lights, and a huge circular grey craft seen hurrying away at high speed trailing vapors and smoke. Some witnesses also noticed several small conventional aircraft circling the air in the vicinity of the strange craft/lights.
First responders:
First responders couldnt remember the last time they got 911 calls for “sonic boom” and reported being very frustrated and disgusted over general confusion and waste of effort.
Pictures/Video:
Pics: Several witnesses shot still pictures of OBOLs and craft witnessed, most using cell phone cameras of extremely low quality and practically worthless. One witness shot exceptionally clear photos of a well-lit multicolored craft in the distance.
Videos: Four witnesses shot videos of post- event craft and lights IVO kokomo skies. Some vidoes clearly show OBOLs while one clearly showed a multi-lighted brightly colored craft described as “a huge police car in the sky”
Next day media/government response:
Media: swarmed by talk of UFOs and mysterious explosion led to numerous Indy news teams combing area.
Government: Fort Wayne ANG commander issued a statement accepting responsibility F16 broke sound barrier and launched flares. Purdue professor says boom was an exploding meteor.
MUFON investigation begins amidst all these statements being issued; witnesses and public at large express doubts on validity of above official statements.
SUMMARY: MUFON investigation continues - new witnesses pix, videos continue to surface. questioins remain on validity of official explanations. Police radio traffic directly challenges F-16 sonic boom admission, while meteor shower theory is still being examined. These facts are certain: Exploding meteors, sonic booms, and defensive flares cannot explain the hovering lights and strange craft witnessed and filmed after the explosion. Witnesses and public at large doubt those explanations. Media poll shows UFOs as number one suspected cause of big boom event. MUFON Field Investigators Glen Means, Roger Sugden, and Debbie Kauble contributed to this report. More detailed analysis to follow.
Pictures/videos being sent to MUFON Head Quarters for further analysis.
Glen Means
State Section Director
MUFON - Indiana