Coyne helicopter incident, Mansfield
An Army Reserve helicopter crew said a grey cigar-shaped craft stopped over them, bathed the cockpit in green light, and their helicopter climbed with its controls set to descend.
1973 CE · 40.76, -82.52 · status: unexplained
The account
On 18 October 1973 Capt. Lawrence Coyne and three crew flying from Columbus to Cleveland saw a red light on a collision course near Mansfield, Ohio. Coyne dived, radio contact was lost, the object halted above them and its green beam lit the cabin; afterwards the altimeter showed a climb. Ground witnesses later described the helicopter and an object with a green light. Investigator Jennie Zeidman's study ranks it among the best US cases.
The sceptical view
A bright fireball meteor has been suggested; Zeidman's timeline, showing the object in view for about five minutes, argues against it.
The researched reading
A strong multi-witness military case. A fireball is the main ordinary answer but fits the reported duration poorly, so a real open share remains.
| Explanation | Weight | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Something known, misidentified | 40% | Klass argued an Orionid fireball, with the green light through the helicopter’s tinted roof panel and the climb as pilot input; but no fireball report exists and the event lasted minutes. |
| Genuinely anomalous | 30% | A four-man crew agreed on an object that stopped above them; ground witnesses near Mansfield described the helicopter and an object with a green light; Jennie Zeidman’s study found no ordinary fit. |
| Perception, memory or mind | 8% | In a sudden emergency crews misjudge timing and can unknowingly apply control inputs. |
| A poorly understood natural phenomenon | 8% | An unusual luminous phenomenon could account for the light but not its stopping. |
| Secret human technology | 8% | A secret aircraft near Mansfield airport is possible but none is known. |
| A known natural phenomenon | 4% | Updrafts explain unexpected climbs in some cases. |
| A hoax or fabrication | 2% | A military crew reporting together; no sign of invention. |
Official position: No official conclusion; the crew filed a report with the Army.