Pilot Frederick M Valentich disappears after reporting encountering a UFO while flying a Cessna 182 (call sign Delta Sierra Juliet) across the Bass Strait from Melbourne to Hobart, Tasmania on 21^st October 1978.

This incident is Case 35 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article,  since it was referred to in 62 of the books covered by that article.

This incident came fifth in an online poll conducted in March/April 2006 by Paul Kimball of “the UFO case with the ‘best evidence’ ever”.

As part of a survey of various researchers of the “most evidential” UFO case, British ufologists Robert Rosamond and John Spencer produced a joint response which discussed this incident.

 

 

On 14 December 1978, the CIA releases UFO documents to Ground Saucer Watch.

 

 

 

The Umm Al-Aish UFO incident in northern Kuwait, involving technicians and alleged electromagnetic effects on oil pumps, occurred on 10 November 1978. This was part of a series of incidents from 9 November 1978 to 21 November 1978.

 

 

 

 

On 31 December 1978, there were UFO sightings across Britain. The re-entry of Russian satellite Cosmos 1068 occurred on same night.