Coyne Helicopter Encounter
A U.S. Army Reserve helicopter crewed by Capt. Lawrence Coyne and three others reported a near-collision with an unidentified cylindrical object that bathed the cockpit in green light. The crew also reported anomalous altimeter readings during the encounter.
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Project Blue Book successor records (NARA) ↗Official description
Coyne's official report describes a roughly five-minute encounter near Mansfield Reserve Air Station. The altimeter is reported to have indicated a climb of approximately 1,800 feet without corresponding control input. All four crew submitted written statements consistent in detail.
Editor's context
One of the better-documented military aircrew cases. Several skeptical analyses propose a Perseid-related fireball as the candidate object; this explanation has difficulty accounting for the duration of observation and the reported instrument behavior.
In the margins
Transcribed redactions, stamps, and handwritten markings, the paratext of the file. Often the most human part of a declassified document, and worth reading on its own.
- Stampp. incident report coverDEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, 316TH MEDICAL DETACHMENT, U.S. ARMY RESERVE
- StampMANSFIELD ARMY RESERVE AIR STATION, OHIO
- AnnotationCapt. Lawrence Coyne, Sgt. John Healey, Sgt. Robert Yanacsek, Lt. Arrigo Jezzi, four crew. Aircraft: UH-1H Huey, tail number 68-15444.
- AnnotationReported altimeter behavior: indicated climb of approximately 1,800 feet without corresponding cyclic input over a four-minute window.
- AnnotationAll four crew submitted independently-written statements within 48 hours; statements consistent in detail.
Cite the primary source
Citations center the originating government agency and link to the official record. This archive is listed as the access point, not the author.
U.S. Department of Defense. "Coyne Helicopter Encounter." Released via PURSUE program, 1973-11-23. https://www.archives.gov/research/military/air-force/ufos. Accessed 2026-05-12 via Social Media for Aliens archive, https://socialmediaforaliens.com/files/coyne-mansfield-1973.
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