Bishop Monkton Military Encounter: RAF F-4 Phantoms Chase UFO in North Yorkshire
Near Bishop Monkton in North Yorkshire, England, during a 24-hour British military exercise, several military witnesses observe a strange red light at around 3 a.m. Within twenty minutes the light completes three circuits around the immediate area. Two F-4 Phantom fighter jets give chase in a typical cat-and-mouse scenario. 'One moment it was in front of the pursuers,' the witness told Jenny Randles, 'the next it would move at speed behind them.' After five minutes, the object accelerates away at incredible speed. The witness does not report the sighting through official channels.
Background
EVENT TITLE: Bishop Monkton Military Encounter: RAF F-4 Phantoms Chase UFO in North Yorkshire
EVENT DATE: 1987-03-15
EVENT TYPE: military_encounter
Near Bishop Monkton in North Yorkshire, England, during a 24-hour British military exercise, military witnesses observed a strange red light. Two RAF F-4 Phantom fighter jets subsequently engaged in a chase of the unidentified object.
The Incident
During a 24-hour British military exercise near Bishop Monkton, North Yorkshire, a strange red light was observed by several military witnesses at approximately 3 a.m. The light made three circuits around the immediate area within twenty minutes of its initial sighting. Two F-4 Phantom fighter jets were then scrambled and gave chase to the unidentified aerial phenomenon.
Investigation
The provided text does not contain information regarding an official investigation into the Bishop Monkton incident. Therefore, details of any official response or inquiry are unavailable.
Significance
The provided text does not offer specific context to assess the significance of the Bishop Monkton incident within the broader UFO context. However, the text does mention a congressional attempt to look into the UFO matter. Congressman Samuel S. Stratton (D-NY), Chairman of the Armed Services Investigations Subcommittee, had read about the 1975 UFO intrusions. On December 28, 1978, he expressed concern about “the alleged ability of unknown aircraft to penetrate airspace and hover over SAC bases, their weapons storage areas, missile sites, and launch control facilities, and the inability of Air Force equipment and personnel to intercept and identify such aircraft.” The subcommittee requested all reports relating to these and “any similar incidents.” A letter was sent to several Air Force groups. The Air Force Legislative Liaison replied on February 9, 1979 informing the Congressman that UFO reports were “of transitory interest to the Air Force and permanent files are not maintained.” Stratton’s interest in this matter was purely regarding national defense, certainly not to play the UFO card. He was the only member of Congress who ever inquired into the UFO flyovers from 1975, and he never followed up on his inquiry.