Southern Africa Unexplained

Case No 113 · UFO Afrinews No 13, February 1996

UAP Attack

1952 · Storms River Pass, then near the Elandsjaagt Dam about 25 miles from Humansdorp, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

What was reported

Gene Povey answered an appeal in the Eastern Province Herald. Around 1952 he, his sister and her friend were driving from George back to Port Elizabeth on a clear, moonlit summer night. Coming down the Storms River Pass near a sharp S-bend, a single headlamp-like light appeared on their side of the road and came straight at them. He pulled hard against the stone wall; the light skimmed the bonnet, lit the interior like daylight, shook the car and left with a huge roar. The engine had stalled and was hard to restart. Later, past the Elandsjaagt Dam about 25 miles from Humansdorp, a light filling the road came skimming at them, veered, zoomed over the car and climbed steeply away. Next day people said fireball or aircraft. All witnesses agree it was oval and brighter than any car light; the second pass swished, and Povey's arm hairs stood up.

What Hind made of it

Editor's note: engine stalling is a common UAP effect, probably due to electromagnetism from the object, whether craft or unexplained natural phenomenon.

Explanation offered
Fireball or aircraft, suggested by others next day; Povey counters that no ordinary aircraft could fly the Pass that way or vanish so fast.

In their words

  • it seemed to just skim over the bonnet, lighting the interior of the car as bright as day

    Gene Povey, spread 17

  • But no ordinary aircraft could fly in the Pass like it did, nor disappear as fast as it did.

    Gene Povey, spread 18

  • Well, that's the story. Was it, or was it not, a UFO?

    Gene Povey, spread 18

Cross references

  • Eastern Province Herald letter appeal
  • editor's note on engine stalling, spread 18 (printed p. 31)

Connected

  • Cigar-shaped object, paralysis and lost time at a caféCase fileSame behaviour

    Physical and physiological effects. 1952: engine stalled and was hard to restart, car shaken, arm hairs erect. 1980: paralysis, sudden cold, dogs howling once it left. Hind's own editor's note on 13-17-1 explicitly generalises this as electromagnetism from the object, so she treated them as one phenomenon.

  • Unconfirmed reports: disc of bright light over Port Elizabeth (Patrick)Case fileSame behaviour

    Weak link. Both witnesses reject the aircraft explanation on speed grounds. But 13-17-1 is a 30-year-old recollection solicited by a Herald letter appeal, and its events happened 79-158 km west of where it is plotted, so it is not really a report from this area at all.

  • Unconfirmed reports: huge round white object over Hobie Beach (Justin)Case fileSame behaviour

    A second appearance minutes after the first: Justin saw the object again, tilted and saucer-like; Povey met a second light past the Elandsjaagt Dam that veered, zoomed over the car and climbed away. Both argue against a one-pass fireball.

Source

Cynthia Hind, UFO Afrinews No 13 (February 1996), spread 17-18

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