REF: UAP/1970s/124Unexplained
1978-12-21 & 30
Kaikoura lights
Kaikoura coast · New Zealand·Aircraft radar-visual + film·1970s
Unexplained
§ ASummary
Argosy freight flights tracked/filmed lights; Wellington ATC radar held returns; 12/30 flight carried TV crew who filmed objects; RNZAF report attributed most to squid boats/Venus (contested).
§ BWitnesses
Capt. Bill Startup; TV crew (Quentin Fogarty); ATC radar
§ CEvidence & Documentation
16mm color footage; ATC radar logs; RNZAF investigation report (1979, released)
§ DOfficial Investigation
RNZAF/DSIR investigation
§ EStatus Assessment
Official: lights explained (squid fleet, Venus, mirage); pilots & analysts dispute; footage remains debated
§ FVerifiable Sources
RNZAF report (1979); Startup & Illingworth, 'The Kaikoura UFOs'; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaikoura_lights
§ GCross-referenced cases6
1976-08-20🇺🇸 USA
Allagash abductions
Multiple abduction claim
1976-09-19🇮🇷 Iran
Tehran F-4 incident
Military jet intercept / systems failure
1976-11-11? (1977-02)🇬🇧 UK
Broad Haven school sightings
Schoolchildren mass sighting ('Dyfed Triangle')
1976-08-23🇪🇸 Spain
Canary Islands sighting
Mass sighting / naval
1976-01-06🇺🇸 USA
Stanford, Kentucky abduction
Multi-witness abduction claim
1977-04-25🇨🇱 Chile
Corporal Valdes case
Military CE / physiological