Southern Africa Unexplained

Case No 21 · UFO Afrinews No 3, May 1990

UAP Crash on Botswana/South African Border

1989 ยท Kalahari Desert, said to be 70 km inside Botswana from the South African border, Botswana/South African border, Botswana

What was reported

A document publicised by Dr Henry Azadehdel and attributed to South African Intelligence claimed that on 7 May 1989 the frigate White Swan tracked an object nearing the Cape at 5746 knots, two Mirages under a 'Squadron Leader Jones' downed it with a Thor 2 laser, and it crashed 70 km inside Botswana. A recovery helicopter fell, killing five, blamed on an electromagnetic field; in an air base's sixth underground level two small beings came out through a hydraulic hatch and one clawed a medic; craft and occupants went to Wright-Patterson on 23 June. Hind, Maria Sullivan and David Powell pick the paper apart, then trace its source, James van Greunen, through a television appearance, a no-show Johannesburg talk, a bounced US$544 cheque and his flight to Europe. An anonymous threatening call to Hind was traced to Azadehdel.

What Hind made of it

A hoax: the document is riddled with spelling errors, wrong ranks, non-existent bases and units, and the source James van Greunen behaved fraudulently; the only real element is that something, probably a fireball, did come down that day.

Explanation offered
Hoax; a fireball seen over the area on 7 May 1989 by a Smithsonian observer (under check)

In their words

  • GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT, CHUM, BEFORE YOU TRY AND CARRY OFF A HOAX OF THIS MAGNITUDE.

    Cynthia Hind, spread 08

  • On the 7th May, 1989, something did come down on the Botswana/South African border...

    Cynthia Hind, spread 08

  • Having read the story in full, I was immediately suspicious.

    Cynthia Hind, spread 05

Cross references

  • BUFORA Conference London July 1989
  • Wright Patterson AFB
  • MUFON
  • QUEST magazine
  • NUFORIN
  • Good Morning South Africa (TV)
  • Johannesburger Hotel 29 December 1989
  • C.I.S.N.E. Brazil
  • Smithsonian Institute
  • Valhalla and Swartkops air bases
  • Timothy Good

Source

Cynthia Hind, UFO Afrinews No 3 (May 1990), spread 4-8

In the archive

This case became a story on this site.

1989 · South Africa

The Kalahari crash that never was

A Mirage, a secret laser cannon, a silver disc in a crater and two grey occupants. Every word came from one 24-year-old with a passport stamp.

Press report