The Cash–Landrum Incident is a reported UFO encounter from December 29, 1980, where three witnesses described a luminous object and helicopters in Texas.
On the evening of December 29, 1980, Betty Cash, Vickie Landrum, and her young grandson Colby were driving in a rural area near Huffman and Dayton in southeastern Texas. According to their account, they saw a large, diamond-shaped object hovering above the road, emitting intense light, heat, and flames from its underside, forcing them to stop. They also reported numerous helicopters, sometimes described as twin-rotor CH-47s, accompanying the object or flying in its wake.
In the hours and days following the event, the three reported health problems, including skin burns, eye irritation, nausea, diarrhea, and hair loss. UFO researchers presented the injuries as related to a powerful energy source, but exposure to ionizing radiation was not proven. John F. Schuessler investigated the case and helped document their medical condition. Between 1981 and 1982, the witnesses sought compensation from the government, and in 1983, they filed a $20 million lawsuit against it.
A federal court dismissed the lawsuit, citing insufficient evidence that the object or helicopters belonged to the US military. The Air Force and other Department of Defense agencies denied operating any experimental aircraft or a large helicopter formation in the area that night. No verified physical evidence identifying the object or proving its origin was found, and the incident officially remains unexplained.
It was reported on the evening of December 29, 1980, in a rural area near Huffman and Dayton, Texas.
They reported seeing a large, diamond-shaped object that emitted light, heat, and flames, accompanied or followed by numerous helicopters.
No. The witnesses reported health problems, but exposure to ionizing radiation was not proven.
No. The Air Force and other Department of Defense agencies denied operating any experimental aircraft or a large helicopter formation in the area that night.