Aircrew Sighting of UAP: Moçambique (UAP over Beira)

What was reported

LAM Boeing 737 captain Simplicio Pinto, refuelling at Beira, landed at 18.09 and saw an object like a wing parachute or flying mattress with an intense fluorescent white light. The control tower said it had first been seen at 15.00 and was on Air Force radar. After take-off at 18.40 he flew towards it; it seemed enormous and stationary south of Beira. At 11,000 feet the light blinded him and he saw three searchlight-like lights in a triangle. Stewardess Isabel Lobo and co-pilot Jamal watched; none of the 114 passengers had a camera. When he flashed his landing lights twice the object climbed vertically and its light weakened. It gave no return on his radar and stayed higher than him at 24,000 feet. Ground staff watched for three hours, the crew for 45 minutes.

What Hind made of it

First impression was a NASA or French Space Agency weather balloon circumnavigating the southern hemisphere, but CSIR Pretoria did not reply and NASA made no comment; case left open.

Explanation offered
NASA or French Space Agency weather balloon, 40 m diameter with two bright lights on either side

In their words

• It was enormous. It seemed to be stationary south of Beira.

• The object had been observed hovering for three hours by the ground staff in Beira

Cross references

• Timothy Good, The UFO Report 1990 (Sidgwick & Jackson)
• CSIR Pretoria

Source

Cynthia Hind, UFO Afrinews No 3 (May 1990), spread 9-10

In the archive

This case became a story on this site.

1988 · Mozambique

The flying mattress off Beira

Beira tower had watched it for three hours. Then a LAM captain took off, climbed towards it with a full 737, and flashed his landing lights at it.

LIFTLiftLOLow observability

Press report