Belgian Civilian UFO Research and SOBEPS

Introduction

Belgium’s reputation as one of Europe’s most closely studied UFO hotspots owes less to government secrecy than to the unusual role played by organised civilian investigators. During and after the Belgian UFO wave of 1989–1990, private research groups collected witness testimony on a national scale, compared accounts, interviewed police officers and pilots, and attempted to standardise how sightings were documented. The most influential of these organisations was the Société belge d’étude des phénomènes spatiaux, better known as SOBEPS, whose work shaped both public understanding and official responses to the sightings. [Wikipedia]WikipediaOpen source on wikipedia.org.

What made Belgium distinctive was not simply the number of reports, but the degree of interaction between civilian researchers and institutions such as the Belgian Air Force. Supporters saw this cooperation as evidence that the phenomenon deserved serious study. Critics argued that the same networks amplified public excitement and helped create a self-reinforcing UFO wave. The debate over SOBEPS therefore became central not only to Belgian ufology, but to wider arguments about how extraordinary claims should be investigated. [2skeptoid.com]skeptoid.comThe Belgian UFO Wave27 Sept 2016 — SOBEPS reported that they obtained radar lock on targets nine times; but the Belgian military only rep…

SOBEPS and the Rise of Organised Belgian Ufology

From small association to national reference point

SOBEPS was founded in 1971 as a civilian UFO investigation organisation focused on collecting and analysing reports from Belgium. In its early years it operated more like a niche enthusiasts’ association, publishing a magazine called Inforespace and building an archive of sightings. Membership rose rapidly during the 1970s before declining in the 1980s, only to surge again during the Belgian UFO wave. [Wikipedia]WikipediaBelgian UFO waveBelgian UFO wave

The organisation’s influence expanded dramatically after the first major wave sightings near Eupen on 29 November 1989. Witnesses contacted local police, journalists, and eventually SOBEPS investigators, who began assembling detailed case files. Within months the group had become the central clearing house for Belgian UFO reports, handling hundreds of witness statements from civilians, police officers, military personnel, and radar operators. [2sd036d2424f3c53a7.jimcontent.com]sd036d2424f3c53a7.jimcontent.comThe Ufo Briefing 1989 1990 UFO sighting wave BelgiumBelgian Society for the Study of Space Phenomena (SOBEPS), a private organization from Brussels, which published two thick volumes on the…

Unlike more sensational UFO groups elsewhere, SOBEPS tried to present itself as methodical and technically serious. Its investigators used questionnaires, attempted witness cross-checking, and classified sightings according to evidential quality. This approach helped the organisation gain media credibility inside Belgium, especially because some reports involved law enforcement officers and military observers rather than anonymous claims alone. [cobeps.org]cobeps.orgbelgian wave 130310Belgian Ufo waveSOBEPS IR: Sobeps Investigation Report. VOB1: First SOBEPS report on the 1989 Belgian ufo wave. VOB2: Second SOBEPS repor…

The two major Belgian wave reports

SOBEPS became best known for publishing two large investigative volumes on the Belgian UFO wave, commonly referred to as Vague d’OVNI sur la Belgique. These books attempted to catalogue sightings chronologically, compare testimony, map geographical patterns, and assess possible explanations. [Wikipedia]WikipediaOpen source on wikipedia.org.

The reports argued that many cases could not be explained by ordinary aircraft, astronomical objects, or hoaxes. Investigators emphasised recurring descriptions of silent triangular craft with strong lights at the corners and unusual flight behaviour. They also highlighted reports involving multiple independent witnesses observing the same object simultaneously from different locations. [cobeps.org]cobeps.orgOpen source on cobeps.org.

Supporters considered the publications unusually detailed for civilian UFO research. Critics, however, argued that the books selectively favoured unexplained cases while downplaying mundane explanations or inconsistencies in witness testimony. The publications therefore became both foundational texts in European ufology and major targets for sceptical review. [2gmh.chez-alice.fr]gmh.chez-alice.frTHE BELGIAN WAVE OF 1989-1992 A neglected hypothesis9 Dec 1989 — SOBEPS itself explained some sightings by planes, sky tracers of discoth…

How Belgian Civilian Investigators Collected and Analysed Reports

Building a national witness network

One reason the Belgian wave became so heavily documented was the speed with which civilian researchers established reporting channels. Witnesses could contact SOBEPS directly by telephone or post, and local investigators were often dispatched to interview them. The organisation built regional networks that allowed sightings from Wallonia, Brussels, and other areas to be logged rapidly and compared against one another. [cobeps.org]cobeps.orgbelgian wave 130310Belgian Ufo waveSOBEPS IR: Sobeps Investigation Report. VOB1: First SOBEPS report on the 1989 Belgian ufo wave. VOB2: Second SOBEPS repor…

Investigators attempted to separate high-value reports from weak or incomplete testimony. Cases involving multiple observers, police officers, or apparent radar confirmation received particular attention. Reports were frequently compared with weather records, aviation activity, and astronomical conditions in an effort to eliminate obvious misidentifications. [cobeps.org]cobeps.orgOpen source on cobeps.org.

SOBEPS also tried to preserve anonymity for reluctant witnesses, especially police officers or military personnel concerned about ridicule. This mattered because the Belgian wave coincided with intense media attention, and many witnesses feared professional embarrassment. The group argued that confidential reporting improved the reliability and volume of testimony it received. [cobeps.org]cobeps.orgOpen source on cobeps.org.

Statistical and pattern analysis

Belgian civilian researchers did more than simply collect stories. They attempted to identify recurring behavioural and geographic patterns across hundreds of reports. Investigators tracked:

This systematic approach was relatively unusual for civilian UFO organisations at the time. SOBEPS argued that the consistency of descriptions across independent witnesses strengthened the case that observers were seeing a genuine phenomenon rather than unrelated misidentifications. [cobeps.org]cobeps.orgOpen source on cobeps.org.

Sceptics disputed those conclusions, arguing that consistency alone does not prove an extraordinary object existed. Once triangular UFO descriptions became widespread in newspapers and television coverage, witnesses may have unconsciously shaped later reports around a shared public narrative. [Wikipedia]WikipediaBelgian UFO waveBelgian UFO wave

Cooperation Between Civilian Researchers and Belgian Authorities

An unusually open relationship

Belgium became notable within UFO history because civilian researchers gained partial access to official information rather than being completely excluded from it. During the wave, SOBEPS interacted with elements of the Belgian Air Force and received summaries of military observations connected to the March 1990 radar incidents. [ufoevidence.org]ufoevidence.orgThis report provides the full picture of the reports of the involvedReport concerning the observation of UFOs in the night…The full version of the Belgian Air Force report by Major Lambrechts, VS 3/Ctl…

This relationship helped give the Belgian case international attention. Many UFO incidents elsewhere relied entirely on anecdotal civilian testimony, whereas Belgian researchers could point to radar data, interceptor scrambles, and public statements by military officials acknowledging that unusual aerial observations had occurred. [ufoevidence.org]ufoevidence.orgThis report provides the full picture of the reports of the involvedReport concerning the observation of UFOs in the night…The full version of the Belgian Air Force report by Major Lambrechts, VS 3/Ctl… [National Archives]cdn.nationalarchives.gov.ukaug 2009 highlights guideGuideThe files reveal how in March 1990 the Belgian Air. Force scrambled F-16 fighters to intercept UFOs reported by police officers and…Published: March 1990

The cooperation was still limited and cautious. Belgian authorities did not endorse extraterrestrial explanations, nor did they officially validate SOBEPS conclusions. Nonetheless, the willingness of military personnel to speak publicly about unexplained radar tracks was unusual enough to strengthen the organisation’s credibility in the eyes of many observers. [ufoevidence.org]ufoevidence.orgThis report provides the full picture of the reports of the involvedReport concerning the observation of UFOs in the night…The full version of the Belgian Air Force report by Major Lambrechts, VS 3/Ctl…

The F-16 incident and civilian interpretation

The most famous example of civilian-official interaction involved the night of 30–31 March 1990, when Belgian Air Force F-16s attempted to intercept unidentified radar targets. SOBEPS investigators treated the event as a key piece of corroborative evidence because it appeared to combine civilian sightings, ground radar observations, and fighter aircraft tracking data. [ufoevidence.org]ufoevidence.orgThis report provides the full picture of the reports of the involvedReport concerning the observation of UFOs in the night…The full version of the Belgian Air Force report by Major Lambrechts, VS 3/Ctl…

The organisation argued that the incident demonstrated a phenomenon not easily explained by ordinary aircraft behaviour. However, sceptics later challenged aspects of the interpretation, noting discrepancies between public retellings and the military’s own technical records. Some critics argued that radar anomalies, fragmented locks, or ordinary aerial activity could account for much of what occurred. [skeptoid.com]skeptoid.comThe Belgian UFO Wave27 Sept 2016 — SOBEPS reported that they obtained radar lock on targets nine times; but the Belgian military only rep…

The disagreement revealed an important feature of Belgian civilian UFO research: the same body of data was often interpreted in radically different ways depending on the assumptions investigators brought to it.

The Petit-Rechain Photograph and the Credibility Problem

No discussion of Belgian civilian UFO research is complete without the Petit-Rechain photograph, one of the most famous UFO images ever associated with Europe. The image appeared during the Belgian wave and showed a triangular object with illuminated corners hovering against a dark sky. SOBEPS defended the photograph for years as potentially authentic after various technical examinations failed to prove manipulation conclusively. [Wikipedia]WikipediaBelgian UFO waveBelgian UFO wave

For supporters, the photograph symbolised the seriousness of the Belgian wave. It appeared to match hundreds of witness descriptions and became widely reproduced in books, television programmes, and documentaries. [Unsolved Mysteries]unsolvedmysteries.fandom.comUnsolved Mysteries Belgium UFOUnsolved MysteriesBelgium UFO - Unsolved Mysteries Wiki - FandomMany skeptics believe that the Belgian sightings were just mass UFO hyste…

The problem emerged in 2011 when the photographer stated publicly that the image had been fabricated using a small model. The confession damaged SOBEPS retrospectively because critics argued that the organisation had become too invested in defending evidence that supported its preferred interpretation. [Wikipedia]WikipediaBelgian UFO waveBelgian UFO wave

Defenders of SOBEPS countered that the photograph represented only one piece of evidence among thousands of reports and that the organisation had never claimed the image alone proved extraterrestrial visitation. Nevertheless, the episode became a cautionary example of how even technically analysed UFO evidence can later collapse under scrutiny. [Swansea Ufo Network]sufon.co.ukthe belgian wave 1Swansea Ufo NetworkTHE BELGIAN WAVE25 Sept 2025 — VOB1: First SOBEPS report on the 1989 Belgian ufo wave. VOB2: Second SOBEPS report on t…

Critics, Sceptics, and Internal Disputes

Claims of mass suggestion and media amplification

Belgian sceptics did not merely reject UFO explanations; many specifically criticised SOBEPS’s investigative culture. Writer Marc Hallet argued that the organisation helped fuel a form of mass social contagion by encouraging people to reinterpret ordinary aerial observations as extraordinary craft. [Wikipedia]WikipediaBelgian UFO waveBelgian UFO wave

This criticism drew on a broader sceptical argument often applied to UFO waves: once media attention establishes a popular image of what witnesses are expected to see, later reports become shaped by expectation. In Belgium’s case, the widely publicised “black triangle” motif may itself have influenced subsequent testimony. [Wikipedia]WikipediaBelgian UFO waveBelgian UFO wave

Other researchers proposed more conventional explanations for at least some sightings, including helicopters, aircraft viewed under unusual atmospheric conditions, astronomical misidentifications, and optical distortions. Several sceptical analyses argued that SOBEPS sometimes underestimated how easily witnesses can misjudge silence, distance, speed, and scale during night-time observations. [gmh.chez-alice.fr]gmh.chez-alice.frTHE BELGIAN WAVE OF 1989-1992 A neglected hypothesis9 Dec 1989 — SOBEPS itself explained some sightings by planes, sky tracers of discoth…

Scientific criticism and methodological debate

Some academic critics focused less on the sightings themselves and more on how civilian UFO groups handled evidence. A recurring criticism was that SOBEPS relied heavily on witness testimony without sufficient controls against memory distortion, social influence, or selective reporting. [Wikipedia]WikipediaBelgian UFO waveBelgian UFO wave

Defenders responded that the organisation did attempt methodological filtering by rejecting many poor-quality reports and by distinguishing between explained and unexplained cases. They argued that complete certainty is impossible in transient aerial events and that civilian investigators were operating with limited resources compared with state institutions. [cobeps.org]cobeps.orgOpen source on cobeps.org.

The Belgian debate therefore evolved into something larger than a question about UFOs alone. It became a dispute about how civilians should investigate uncertain phenomena, how much weight eyewitness evidence deserves, and whether unexplained observations should be treated as anomalies requiring further study or as predictable by-products of human perception.

COBEPS and the Post-SOBEPS Era

SOBEPS formally dissolved in 2007 after financial difficulties, but its investigative legacy did not disappear. A successor organisation, COBEPS — the Belgian Committee for the Study of Space Phenomena — was created to continue collecting sightings and preserving aspects of the earlier research tradition. [Wikipedia]WikipediaBelgian UFO waveBelgian UFO wave

COBEPS adopted a leaner structure than SOBEPS, without the same magazine infrastructure or large membership system. Its stated aim remained straightforward: gather witness testimony in Belgium, maintain archives, and continue civilian investigation into unexplained aerial phenomena. [cobeps.org]cobeps.orgOpen source on cobeps.org.

The continuation of these organisations decades after the original wave reflects how deeply the 1989–1990 events became embedded in Belgian UFO culture. Even today, Belgian media periodically revisit the wave, and new sighting reports are still collected by civilian networks. [The Brussels Times]brusselstimes.comreports of ufos sightings on the rise in belgium with spike reported in marchThe Brussels TimesReports of UFOs sightings on the rise in Belgium05 Jan 2026 — Belgium's UFO hotline recorded 237 sightings of unidentif…

Why Belgian Civilian UFO Research Still Matters

Belgian civilian UFO organisations remain important in the wider history of UFO investigation because they occupied a rare middle ground between amateur enthusiasts and institutional inquiry. SOBEPS in particular attempted to document sightings systematically, interact with official sources, and produce large-scale analytical reports rather than relying solely on anecdotal storytelling. [cobeps.org]cobeps.orgOpen source on cobeps.org.

At the same time, the organisation’s history illustrates the vulnerabilities of civilian anomaly research. The Petit-Rechain photograph controversy, disputes over radar interpretation, and accusations of confirmation bias all showed how easily ambiguous evidence can become polarised between believers and sceptics. [2skeptoid.com]skeptoid.comThe Belgian UFO Wave27 Sept 2016 — SOBEPS reported that they obtained radar lock on targets nine times; but the Belgian military only rep…

The Belgian case therefore survives not because it resolved the UFO question, but because it demonstrated how organised civilian groups can shape national debates about unexplained events. The archives, publications, and controversies created by SOBEPS and its successors remain central to any serious discussion of Belgium’s place in modern UFO history.

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to Belgian Civilian UFO Research and SOBEPS. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

Book

The UFO Experience

By Joseph Allen Hynek

Focuses on investigation methods, witness reports, and case classification.

See on Amazon

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The UFO Enigma

By Peter A. Sturrock

Examines how UFO reports are collected, assessed, and debated.

See on Amazon

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UFOs

By Leslie Kean

Covers civilian and official investigations, matching SOBEPS-authority collaboration themes.

See on Amazon

Book

The Believer

By Ralph Blumenthal

Explores the culture and investigation of extraordinary aerial claims.

See on Amazon

Browse more on Amazon: The UFO Experience The UFO Enigma UFOs

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Endnotes

1. Source: Wikipedia
   Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOBEPS

2. Source: cobeps.org
   Title: belgian wave 130310
   Link: https://www.cobeps.org/pdf/belgian_wave_130310.pdf
   Source snippet

   Belgian Ufo waveSOBEPS IR: Sobeps Investigation Report. VOB1: First SOBEPS report on the 1989 Belgian ufo wave. VOB2: Second SOBEPS repor...

3. Source: Wikipedia
   Title: Belgian UFO wave
   Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_UFO_wave

4. Source: skeptoid.com
   Link: https://skeptoid.com/episodes/538
   Source snippet

   The Belgian UFO Wave27 Sept 2016 — SOBEPS reported that they obtained radar lock on targets nine times; but the Belgian military only rep...

5. Source: gmh.chez-alice.fr
   Link: https://gmh.chez-alice.fr/RLT/BUW-RLT-10-2008.pdf
   Source snippet

   THE BELGIAN WAVE OF 1989-1992 A neglected hypothesis9 Dec 1989 — SOBEPS itself explained some sightings by planes, sky tracers of discoth...

6. Source: sd036d2424f3c53a7.jimcontent.com
   Title: The Ufo Briefing [1989 1990 UFO]({{ ‘1989-1990-ufo/’ | relative_url }}) sighting wave Belgium
   Link: https://sd036d2424f3c53a7.jimcontent.com/download/version/1665931630/module/12377389112/name/The%20Ufo%20Briefing%201989-1990%20UFO%20sighting%20wave%20Belgium.pdf
   Source snippet

   Belgian Society for the Study of Space Phenomena (SOBEPS), a private organization from Brussels, which published two thick volumes on the...

7. Source: cobeps.org
   Link: https://www.cobeps.org/en/home.html

8. Source: enigmalabs.io
   Link: https://enigmalabs.io/library/90c6dc7d-71ce-4a21-9c86-c0370a72ccc6
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   Enigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBelgian UAP WaveIn total, the group collected evidence for 650 of the 2,000 reported cases; 500 of the...

9. Source: ufoevidence.org
   Title: This report provides the full picture of the reports of the involved
   Link: https://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc408.htm
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   Report concerning the observation of UFOs in the night...The full version of the Belgian Air Force report by Major Lambrechts, VS 3/Ctl...

10. Source: unsolved.com
    Title: Mysteries Belgian UFO
    Link: https://unsolved.com/gallery/belgian-ufo/
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    Unsolved MysteriesBelgian UFO - Unsolved MysteriesMore than 3000 people reported sightings of a UFO over Belgium. Is there another explan...

11. Source: youtube.com
    Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze73Ier5LOs
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    The Belgian UFO Wave - Episode 337...

12. Source: youtube.com
    Title: The Belgian UFO Wave
    Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zikRBV8DwQ
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    Belgian UFO Wave: Investigations and History...

13. Source: ufoinsight.com
    Title: belgian ufo wave
    Link: https://www.ufoinsight.com/ufos/waves/belgian-ufo-wave
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    The Belgian UFO Wave – A Truly Unique Display Of The...12 Mar 2018 — The wave of UFO sightings that took hold of Belgium between Novembe...

14. Source: cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    Title: aug 2009 highlights guide
    Link: https://cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/aug-2009-highlights-guide.pdf
    Source snippet

    GuideThe files reveal how in March 1990 the Belgian Air. Force scrambled F-16 fighters to intercept UFOs reported by police officers and...

    Published: March 1990

15. Source: sufon.co.uk
    Title: the belgian wave 1
    Link: https://www.sufon.co.uk/post/the-belgian-wave-1
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    Swansea Ufo NetworkTHE BELGIAN WAVE25 Sept 2025 — VOB1: First SOBEPS report on the 1989 Belgian ufo wave. VOB2: Second SOBEPS report on t...

16. Source: unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com
    Title: Unsolved Mysteries Belgium UFO
    Link: https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Belgium_UFO
    Source snippet

    Unsolved MysteriesBelgium UFO - Unsolved Mysteries Wiki - FandomMany skeptics believe that the Belgian sightings were just mass UFO hyste...

17. Source: brusselstimes.com
    Title: reports of ufos sightings on the rise in belgium with spike reported in march
    Link: https://www.brusselstimes.com/1904444/reports-of-ufos-sightings-on-the-rise-in-belgium-with-spike-reported-in-march
    Source snippet

    The Brussels TimesReports of UFOs sightings on the rise in Belgium05 Jan 2026 — Belgium's UFO hotline recorded 237 sightings of unidentif...

Additional References

1. Source: medium.com
   Link: https://medium.com/predict/tr-3b-black-triangle-ufo-reverse-engineering-or-sdi-legacy-948e6cb35751
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   TR-3B Black Triangle UFO: Reverse-Engineering or SDI...The TR-3B legend refuses to die. For three decades, witnesses describe a silent B...

2. Source: sondr.eu
   Link: https://www.sondr.eu/index.php/13-documentary/174-mysterious-case
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   The Mysterious CaseIn the late eighties thousands of Belgians observed strange triangular objects hovering over their otherwise calm coun...

3. Source: documents.theblackvault.com
   Link: https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/ufos/UK/defe-31-184-1.pdf
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   Belgian UFO sightings are well-known among UFO researchers, and while they are likely to be mentioned in any documentary on UFOS, they ar...

4. Source: facebook.com
   Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1300809783924033/posts/1611308806207461/

5. Source: theweek.com
   Title: 30 years later still dont know what really happened during belgian ufo wave
   Link: https://theweek.com/articles/905215/30-years-later-still-dont-know-what-really-happened-during-belgian-ufo-wave
   Source snippet

   The Belgian UFO wave, 30 years later30 Mar 2020 — A months-long wave of reports culminated with two Belgian Air Force F-16s chasing myste...

6. Source: medium.com
   Link: https://medium.com/%40JS_UFO_ART/the-belgian-ufo-wave-europes-most-credible-alien-mystery-94a4d8d48292
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   March 30, 1990, two Belgian Air Force F-16s were dispatched to intercept unknown objects. Despite radar locks, the crafts demonstrated...

   Published: March 30, 1990

7. Source: discoveryuk.com
   Title: the belgian ufo wave close encounter or mass hysteria
   Link: https://www.discoveryuk.com/mysteries/the-belgian-ufo-wave-close-encounter-or-mass-hysteria/
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   The Belgian UFO Wave: Close Encounter or Mass Hysteria?3 Sept 2024 — SOBEPS concluded that the UFOs in Belgium were a genuine phenomenon...

8. Source: reddit.com
   Title: archival footage on the belgian ufo wave 19891990
   Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOB/comments/1gerk81/archival_footage_on_the_belgian_ufo_wave_19891990/
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   Archival footage on the Belgian UFO wave 1989/1990.: r/UFOBIts legacy continues through COBEPS, which carries on some of its activities...

9. Source: reddit.com
   Title: the belgium ufo wave 19891990 13500 witnesses two
   Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1s2t5vo/the_belgium_ufo_wave_19891990_13500_witnesses_two/
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   The Belgium UFO Wave (1989–1990)Between November 1989 and April 1990, over 13,500 people across Belgium reported the same thing: a large...

   Published: November 1989

10. Source: reddit.com
    Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/l62z80/some_of_the_most_credible_and_widespread/
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    nduct several investigations, sometimes even deploying F16...Read more...