URECAT - UFO Related Entities Catalog

URECAT is a formal catalog of UFO related entities sightings reports with the goal of providing quality information for accurate studies of the topic. Additional information, corrections and reviews are welcome at patrick.gross@inbox.com, please state if you wish to be credited for your contribution or not. The main page of the URECAT catalog is here.

DECEMBER 17, 1959, HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, USA, FOUR CHILDREN:

Brief summary of the event and follow-up:

Ufologist Loren Gross reported that in Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA, on December 17, 1959, at 08:00 a.m., four children on a school bus saw a flash in the sky, then watched a silver, domed disc land in a field.

A door on the craft opened and a humanoid occupant exited.

Basic information table:

Case number:	URECAT-000576
Date of event:	December 17, 1959
Earliest report of event:	2000?
Delay of report:	41 years?
Witness reported via:	Not known.
First alleged record by:	Ufology booklet Loren Gross.
First certain record by:	Ufology catalogue Rosales.
First alleged record type:	Ufology booklet.
First certain record type:	Ufology catalogue.
This file created on:	March 20, 2008
This file last updated on:	March 20, 2008
Country of event:	USA
State/Department:	Massachusetts
Type of location:	Field, seen from bus.
Lighting conditions:	Not reported.
UFO observed:	Yes
UFO arrival observed:	Yes
UFO departure observed:	Not reported.
UFO/Entity Relation:	Certain
Witnesses numbers:	1 to 4
Witnesses ages:	Not reported. Children.
Witnesses types:	Not reported. Schoolchildren.
Photograph(s):	No.
Witnesses drawing:	No.
Witnesses-approved drawing:	No.

Number of entities:	1
Type of entities:	Humanoid or human
Entities height:	Not reported.
Entities outfit type:	Not reported.
Entities outfit color:	Not reported.
Entities skin color:	Not reported.
Entities body:	Not reported.
Entities head:	Not reported.
Entities eyes:	Not reported.
Entities mouth:	Not reported.
Entities nose:	Not reported.
Entities feet:	Not reported.
Entities arms:	Not reported.
Entities fingers:	Not reported.
Entities fingers number:	Not reported.
Entities hair:	Not reported.
Entities voice:	None heard.
Entities actions:	Came out of UFO using door.
Entities/witness interactions:	None.
Witness(es) reactions:	Observed.
Witness(es) feelings:	Not reported.
Witness(es) interpretation:	Not reported.
Explanation category:	Possible confusion, helicopter. Insufficient data.
Explanation certainty:	High.

Narratives:

[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:

Albert Rosales indicates in his catalogue that in Haverhill, Massachusetts, on December 17, 1959, at 08:00 a.m., in the morning four children on a school bus saw a flash in the sky, then watched a silver, domed disc land in a field. A door on the craft opened and a humanoid occupant exited. There is no additional information.

Albert Rosales indicates that the source is UFOCAT, quoting Loren E. Gross, "The Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse: UFOs A History. 1959: October-December.

[Ref. dj1:] DONALD JOHNSON:

Donald Johnson indicates that on December 17, 1959, at 8 a.m., four children on a school bus in Haverhill, Massachusetts saw a flash in the sky, then watched a silver, domed disc land in a field. A door in the craft opened and a humanoid occupant exited.

Donald Johnson indicates that the source is Loren E. Gross, The Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse: UFOs: A History. 1959: October-December.

Points to consider:

With so few details, all the assumptions are allowed: for example, these children perhaps simply saw a helicopter land in the distance and its pilot come out.

List of issues:

Id:	Topic:	Severity:	Date noted:	Raised by:	Noted by:	Description:	Proposal:	Status:
1	Data	Severe	March 20, 2008	Patrick Gross	Patrick Gross	Missing primary source, primary source not referenced.	Help needed.	Opened.
2	Ufology	Severe	March 20, 2008	Patrick Gross	Patrick Gross	Witnesses are children, of unspecified ages.	Help needed.	Opened.
3	Ufology	Severe	March 20, 2008	Patrick Gross	Patrick Gross	No sign of investigation.	Help needed.	Opened.
4	Ufology	Severe	March 20, 2008	Patrick Gross	Patrick Gross	Possibility of helicopter landing not mentioned and not evaluated.	Help needed.	Opened.
5	Ufology	Severe	March 20, 2008	Patrick Gross	Patrick Gross	Insufficient data: sighting distance missing, meager descriptions. Two sentences report only.	Help needed.	Opened.
6	Ufology	Severe	March 20, 2008	Patrick Gross	Patrick Gross	Origin of report unknown: newspaper, anonymous letter, rumor?	Help needed.	Opened.
7	Ufology	Severe	March 20, 2008	Patrick Gross	Patrick Gross	Case surfacing 4 decades after sighting date.	Help needed.	Opened.

Evaluation:

Possible confusion, helicopter. Insufficient data.

Sources references:

* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.

[---] ? UFOCAT.
[---] ? "The Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse: UFOs A History. 1959: October-December", booklet by Loren E. Gross, self-published, USA, 2000.
[ar1] * "1959 Humanoid Reports", compiled by Albert Rosales, circa 2001, at www.ufoinfo.com/humanoid/humanoid1959.shtml
[dj1] * "Encounters With Aliens On This Day - December 17", web page compiled by Donald Johnson, USA, circa 2005, at www.ufoinfo.com/onthisday/December17.html

Document history:

Authoring

Main Author:	Patrick Gross
Contributors:	None
Reviewers:	None
Editor:	Patrick Gross

Changes history

Version:	Created/Changed By:	Date:	Change Description:
0.1	Patrick Gross	March 20, 2008	Creation, [ar1], [dj1].
1.0	Patrick Gross	March 20, 2008	First published.

This page was last updated on March 20, 2008