Within Coyne Sighting
What Did Coyne's Crew Say They Saw?
The helicopter crew's account is the heart of the Coyne case, from the red light approach to the reported green cockpit glow.
On this page
- Flight route and crew roles
- Red light approach and evasive descent
- Green light, object shape and departure
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
The Coyne helicopter sighting became famous largely because four Army Reserve crew members gave a detailed and internally consistent account of what they believed was a near mid-air encounter over Ohio on 18 October 1973. Their testimony did not describe a distant light or a fleeting glimpse. Instead, they reported an object that appeared to approach on a collision course, halted above or in front of their UH-1H helicopter, illuminated the cockpit with green light, and was followed by what Captain Lawrence Coyne described as an unexplained climb despite the aircraft being configured for descent. The credibility of the case rests heavily on this cockpit narrative: trained aircrew, multiple observers, and a sequence involving both visual impressions and claimed flight anomalies. At the same time, sceptics argue that the same testimony contains signs of stress, misperception and later embellishment, particularly during a frightening night encounter. Center for UFO Studies [Ohio Magazine]ohiomagazine.comOhio MagazineThe Case of Ohio's Best Documented UFOCoyne initially thought it was a jet and radioed Mansfield to see if there were any ai…
Flight route and the crew inside the helicopter
The flight itself was routine before the reported encounter. The helicopter, a Bell UH-1H “Huey” operated by the U.S. Army Reserve, had departed the Columbus area and was travelling north-east toward Cleveland late at night. Weather conditions were repeatedly described as good: clear skies, light winds and visibility of around 15 miles. According to later summaries of Coyne’s statement, the aircraft was flying at roughly 2,500 feet mean sea level and about 90 knots near Charles Mill Lake outside Mansfield, Ohio. [Ashland Source]ashlandsource.comcoyne incident over charles mill lake was most credible ufo sighting of 1973Ashland SourceCoyne Incident over Charles Mill Lake was most credible…4 Oct 2020 — According to the Center for UFO Studies, the Coyne… [Ohio Magazine]ohiomagazine.comOhio MagazineThe Case of Ohio's Best Documented UFOCoyne initially thought it was a jet and radioed Mansfield to see if there were any ai…
The crew positions matter because later investigators compared what each man could realistically see from inside the helicopter:
- Captain Lawrence J. Coyne sat in the right-front seat as pilot in command.
- First Lieutenant Arrigo Jezzi occupied the co-pilot position.
- Sergeant John Healey served as medic.
- Specialist Five Robert Yanacsek acted as crew chief. [Center for UFO Studies]cufos.orgCenter for UFO StudiesA Helicopter-UFO Encounter over Ohioby J Zeidman · Cited by 4 — Coyne, Healey, and Yanacsek reported that a cigar-s… [Reddit]reddit.comter, October 18, 1973. Witness/…Read more…
Supporters of the case often emphasise that the crew were not casual civilian observers. Coyne in particular was described as an experienced pilot with many years of military flying behind him. That experience is central to the argument that the crew were capable of distinguishing ordinary aircraft lighting from something unusual. Critics respond that experience does not eliminate perceptual error during unexpected night events, especially when bright lights and depth perception are involved. [Ashland Source]ashlandsource.comcoyne incident over charles mill lake was most credible ufo sighting of 1973Ashland SourceCoyne Incident over Charles Mill Lake was most credible…4 Oct 2020 — According to the Center for UFO Studies, the Coyne… [Gralien Report]gralienreport.comthe coyne ufo incident of 1973Gralien ReportThe Coyne UFO Incident of 197328 Dec 2020 — Klass had been confident that the crew had merely been startled by an Orionid m…
How the red light first entered the crew’s awareness
The testimony developed in stages rather than all at once. Early in the flight, Healey reportedly noticed a red light to the west moving southward. Nothing about it initially suggested immediate danger. A few minutes later, Yanacsek observed another bright red light toward the eastern horizon. According to the crew, this second light appeared at first to travel roughly parallel to the helicopter. [Ohio Magazine]ohiomagazine.comOhio MagazineThe Case of Ohio's Best Documented UFOCoyne initially thought it was a jet and radioed Mansfield to see if there were any ai… Reddit The situation changed when the crew believed the light altered course and began closing rapidly. Coyne later said he initially assumed it mig [reddit.com]reddit.comter, October 18, 1973. Witness/…Read more… ht be a fast conventional aircraft. He contacted Mansfield Approach Control and asked whether any traffic was operating nearby. Accounts differ slightly on the exact radio exchange, but the commonly repeated version states that air traffic control acknowledged the helicopter’s call sign yet did not provide any meaningful response about nearby aircraft. [Center for UFO Studies]cufos.orgCenter for UFO StudiesA Helicopter-UFO Encounter over Ohioby J Zeidman · Cited by 4 — Coyne, Healey, and Yanacsek reported that a cigar-s…
This detail became important for UFO investigators because it suggested the crew were actively trying to identify the object through ordinary aviation procedures rather than immediately interpreting it as extraordinary. Sceptics, however, note that uncertainty about other aircraft traffic does not itself imply anything anomalous. Night aviation can produce ambiguous visual encounters, especially when another aircraft’s relative motion is difficult to judge.
The evasive descent and the fear of collision
The most dramatic part of the testimony concerns the crew’s belief that a collision was imminent. Coyne later described the object as approaching so quickly that he initiated an emergency descent to avoid impact. Multiple retellings of the incident state that he pushed the helicopter downward while expecting the object to pass overhead. [Ohio Magazine]ohiomagazine.comOhio MagazineThe Case of Ohio's Best Documented UFOCoyne initially thought it was a jet and radioed Mansfield to see if there were any ai… [Richland Source]richlandsource.comufos over richland county 1973UFOs over Richland County: 197325 Mar 2017 — The captain of the helicopter that night was Larry Coyne, and his name is often used as a re…
According to Coyne’s account, the manoeuvre did not solve the problem because the object appeared to follow the helicopter’s movement. Several versions of the story describe Coyne bracing for impact and briefly believing the aircraft was about to be struck. [Ohio Magazine]ohiomagazine.comOhio MagazineThe Case of Ohio's Best Documented UFOCoyne initially thought it was a jet and radioed Mansfield to see if there were any ai…
This moment is important when assessing the testimony because it may explain both the vividness of the memory and the possibility of perceptual distortion. Human perception under threat can become unusually focused on certain details while losing accuracy in others. UFO researchers often interpret the emotional intensity differently: they argue that the crew’s fear reflects how close and physically real the object appeared.
What the crew said the object looked like
The crew’s later descriptions converged on the idea of a structured object rather than a simple light source. In many summaries, they described a grey or metallic cigar-shaped form occupying a substantial part of the forward view. Reports commonly place a red light at the front and a white light at the rear. [Center for UFO Studies]cufos.orgCenter for UFO StudiesA Helicopter-UFO Encounter over Ohioby J Zeidman · Cited by 4 — Coyne, Healey, and Yanacsek reported that a cigar-s… [Knox Pages - Knox County News & Info]knoxpages.comKnox PagesKnox County News & InfoOut of this world: Coyne Incident focused UFO attention on…29 Apr 2022 — The Coyne Incident is considered one o…
The green light became the defining visual feature of the encounter. The crew said a vivid green beam or glow emanated from the underside of the object and illuminated the cockpit interior. Some retellings describe the effect as though the helicopter had been “scanned” by the light. [Knox Pages - Knox County News & Info]knoxpages.comKnox PagesKnox County News & InfoOut of this world: Coyne Incident focused UFO attention on…29 Apr 2022 — The Coyne Incident is considered one o… [Reddit]reddit.comthe 1973 coynemansfield army helicopter ufoThe 1973 Coyne/Mansfield Army Helicopter UFO EncounterArmy helicopter encounters a cigar-shaped UFO at night, has their cockpit "scanned"…
Believers consider this one of the strongest elements in the case because it goes beyond the sighting of distant lights. The claim implies close range, physical structure and direct interaction with the helicopter environment. Critics point out that coloured light at night can produce distorted impressions, particularly when viewed through cockpit glass and under stress. Philip J. Klass later argued that the green effect could have resulted from optical reactions associated with a meteor or bright fireball event during the Orionid meteor shower period. [Gralien Report]gralienreport.comthe coyne ufo incident of 1973Gralien ReportThe Coyne UFO Incident of 197328 Dec 2020 — Klass had been confident that the crew had merely been startled by an Orionid m… [The UFO Chronicles]theufochronicles.comby rich reynolds ufo iconoclasts 4 19The UFO Chronicles[UFO] Skeptics or Debunkers?19 Apr 2012 — Klass writes that they misperceived an Orionids fireball (or meteor) and misc…
The claimed unexplained climb
The most controversial portion of the cockpit testimony is the allegation that the helicopter climbed while configured to descend. Coyne stated that even though he had entered a descent to avoid the object, the helicopter’s instruments showed the aircraft rising instead. Accounts generally place the climb from around 2,500 feet to somewhere near 3,500–3,800 feet. Center for UFO Studies [Apple Podcasts]podcasts.apple.comApple PodcastsThe Coyne Helicopter UFO Incident6 Oct 2025 — During this encounter, the Huey helicopter inexplicably began to ascend again…
Coyne reportedly maintained that he had not applied the power changes normally required for such a climb. Investigators sympathetic to the UFO interpretation treated this as possible evidence of an external force acting on the helicopter. The climb therefore became one of the central reasons the Coyne case was separated from ordinary “light in the sky” reports. [Center for UFO Studies]cufos.orgCenter for UFO StudiesA Helicopter-UFO Encounter over Ohioby J Zeidman · Cited by 4 — Coyne, Healey, and Yanacsek reported that a cigar-s…
Sceptics strongly dispute this interpretation. Klass argued that the apparent climb could be explained by pilot reaction during the emergency manoeuvre itself. In his reconstruction, the crew became startled by a bright astronomical or atmospheric event, and Coyne may have unconsciously altered collective pitch and power settings while concentrating on avoiding collision. According to this view, the climb was not mysterious but simply unrecognised pilot input under stress. [Gralien Report]gralienreport.comthe coyne ufo incident of 1973Gralien ReportThe Coyne UFO Incident of 197328 Dec 2020 — Klass had been confident that the crew had merely been startled by an Orionid m… [The UFO Chronicles]theufochronicles.comby rich reynolds ufo iconoclasts 4 19The UFO Chronicles[UFO] Skeptics or Debunkers?19 Apr 2012 — Klass writes that they misperceived an Orionids fireball (or meteor) and misc…
The disagreement here illustrates the wider divide in interpretation of the Coyne incident:
- UFO proponents focus on the combination of multiple witnesses, close-range structure, cockpit illumination and claimed instrument anomalies.
- Sceptics focus on night-flight confusion, stress reactions, memory reconstruction and the lack of independently recorded flight data.
Did all four crew members report the same thing?
One reason the case retained attention is that the broad outline of the encounter remained relatively stable across retellings. The crew consistently described:
- A red light approaching rapidly.
- An evasive descent.
- A structured object with coloured lights.
- A green illumination in the cockpit.
- The object departing at high speed. Center for UFO Studies [Ohio Magazine]ohiomagazine.comOhio MagazineThe Case of Ohio's Best Documented UFOCoyne initially thought it was a jet and radioed Mansfield to see if there were any ai…
However, not every detail was perfectly identical across later interviews and publications. Some discrepancies emerged over timing, object position, instrument behaviour and exact wording. Critics see these variations as evidence that memory evolved over time, especially as the case became famous in UFO literature. Supporters counter that minor inconsistencies are normal in genuine eyewitness testimony and that the central narrative remained remarkably coherent. [The UFO Chronicles]theufochronicles.comby rich reynolds ufo iconoclasts 4 19The UFO Chronicles[UFO] Skeptics or Debunkers?19 Apr 2012 — Klass writes that they misperceived an Orionids fireball (or meteor) and misc…
The evolution of certain details became especially controversial in later years. Klass argued that some elements, such as unusual compass behaviour, appeared more prominently in later retellings than in the earliest accounts. UFO researchers generally rejected the suggestion that the crew consciously exaggerated the event, instead attributing later elaborations to more complete recollection or more detailed questioning. [The UFO Chronicles]theufochronicles.comby rich reynolds ufo iconoclasts 4 19The UFO Chronicles[UFO] Skeptics or Debunkers?19 Apr 2012 — Klass writes that they misperceived an Orionids fireball (or meteor) and misc…
Why the cockpit account still drives debate
The Coyne case continues to be discussed because the crew testimony sits awkwardly between ordinary aviation confusion and a classic close-encounter narrative. Unlike many UFO reports, this one involved named military personnel, a specific route, and a detailed sequence of actions inside the aircraft. The cockpit encounter also contains several features that investigators consider unusually difficult to dismiss together: multiple witnesses, apparent manoeuvring, structured appearance, coloured lighting and claimed flight effects. Center for UFO Studies [Ashland Source]ashlandsource.comcoyne incident over charles mill lake was most credible ufo sighting of 1973Ashland SourceCoyne Incident over Charles Mill Lake was most credible…4 Oct 2020 — According to the Center for UFO Studies, the Coyne…
Yet the case also depends almost entirely on human testimony. There were no onboard photographs, no released radar confirmation proving an unknown craft near the helicopter, and no instrument recordings publicly demonstrating unexplained flight behaviour. The strength of the incident therefore rises or falls on how convincing the crew themselves appear. [Gralien Report]gralienreport.comthe coyne ufo incident of 1973Gralien ReportThe Coyne UFO Incident of 197328 Dec 2020 — Klass had been confident that the crew had merely been startled by an Orionid m…
That tension explains why the cockpit encounter remains the centrepiece of the Coyne helicopter sighting. To believers, the crew described a close and intelligently controlled object interacting with a military aircraft. To sceptics, the same testimony shows how frightening night-flight conditions and ambiguous lights can produce a memorable but ultimately misinterpreted event.
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Endnotes
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/w23p5z/lt_col_lawrence_coyne_talks_about_a_cigarshaped/Source snippet
ter, October 18, 1973. Witness/...Read more...
Published: October 18, 1973
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Source: knoxpages.com
Title: Knox Pages
Link: https://www.knoxpages.com/2022/04/29/out-of-this-world-coyne-incident-focused-ufo-attention-on-north-central-ohio-in-1973/Source snippet
Knox County News & InfoOut of this world: Coyne Incident focused UFO attention on...29 Apr 2022 — The Coyne Incident is considered one o...
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Source: reddit.com
Title: the 1973 coynemansfield army helicopter ufo
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1pc603m/the_1973_coynemansfield_army_helicopter_ufo/Source snippet
The 1973 Coyne/Mansfield Army Helicopter UFO EncounterArmy helicopter encounters a cigar-shaped UFO at night, has their cockpit "scanned"...
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Source: podcasts.apple.com
Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-coyne-helicopter-ufo-incident-close-encounter/id1762797147?i=1000730412882&l=ruSource snippet
Apple PodcastsThe Coyne Helicopter UFO Incident6 Oct 2025 — During this encounter, the Huey helicopter inexplicably began to ascend again...
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Source: reddit.com
Title: the 1973 coynemansfield helicopter ufo incident
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/8gf3nj/the_1973_coynemansfield_helicopter_ufo_incident/Source snippet
The 1973 Coyne/Mansfield helicopter UFO incident finally...The tanker crew noticed something is not right, such as the helicopter missin...
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Source: cufos.org
Link: https://cufos.org/PDFs/books/A%20Helicopter-UFO%20Encounter%20Over%20Ohio.pdfSource snippet
Center for UFO StudiesA Helicopter-UFO Encounter over Ohioby J Zeidman · Cited by 4 — Coyne, Healey, and Yanacsek reported that a cigar-s...
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Source: ohiomagazine.com
Link: https://www.ohiomagazine.com/ohio-life/article/the-case-of-ohio-s-best-documented-ufoSource snippet
Ohio MagazineThe Case of Ohio's Best Documented UFOCoyne initially thought it was a jet and radioed Mansfield to see if there were any ai...
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Source: gralienreport.com
Title: the coyne ufo incident of 1973
Link: https://www.gralienreport.com/ufos/the-coyne-ufo-incident-of-1973/Source snippet
Gralien ReportThe Coyne UFO Incident of 197328 Dec 2020 — Klass had been confident that the crew had merely been startled by an Orionid m...
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Source: ashlandsource.com
Title: coyne incident over charles mill lake was most credible ufo sighting of 1973
Link: https://www.ashlandsource.com/2020/10/04/coyne-incident-over-charles-mill-lake-was-most-credible-ufo-sighting-of-1973/Source snippet
Ashland SourceCoyne Incident over Charles Mill Lake was most credible...4 Oct 2020 — According to the Center for UFO Studies, the Coyne...
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Source: theshermanroom.wordpress.com
Title: larry coyne
Link: https://theshermanroom.wordpress.com/tag/larry-coyne/Source snippet
Coyne | The Sherman Room at MRCPL22 May 2021 — The Coyne helicopter-UFO incident has been called one of the most credible by many believe...
Published: May 2021
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Source: richlandsource.com
Title: ufos over richland county 1973
Link: https://www.richlandsource.com/2017/03/25/ufos-over-richland-county-1973/Source snippet
UFOs over Richland County: 197325 Mar 2017 — The captain of the helicopter that night was Larry Coyne, and his name is often used as a re...
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Source: theufochronicles.com
Title: by rich reynolds ufo iconoclasts 4 19
Link: https://www.theufochronicles.com/2012/04/by-rich-reynolds-ufo-iconoclasts-4-19.htmlSource snippet
The UFO Chronicles[UFO] Skeptics or Debunkers?19 Apr 2012 — Klass writes that they misperceived an Orionids fireball (or meteor) and misc...
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Source: richlandsource.com
Title: gallery coyne incident
Link: https://www.richlandsource.com/2022/04/29/gallery-coyne-incident/Source snippet
GALLERY: Coyne Incident29 Apr 2022 — And not long afterwards Aviation Week & Space Technology editor Philip Klass... Orionid meteor show...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Philip J. Klass
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_J._KlassSource snippet
Philip J. KlassPhilip Julian Klass (November 8, 1919 – August 9, 2005) was an American aviation and aerospace journalist and UFO resea...
Published: November 8, 1919
Additional References
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Source: mcmmadnessnews.blogspot.com
Link: https://mcmmadnessnews.blogspot.com/2014/06/full-superspectrum-dominance.htmlSource snippet
FULL SUPERSPECTRUM DOMINANCEAny theory of the object's being a meteor (UFO skeptic Philip Klass maintains that the object was a "fireball...
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Source: dokumen.pub
Link: https://dokumen.pub/download/situation-red-the-ufo-siege.htmlSource snippet
Situation Red: The UFO SiegePhilip Klass, senior avionics editor of Aviation Week & Space Technology... Although not always as spectacul...
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Source: facebook.com
Title: onthisday 1973 nationwide cameras captured incontrovertible proof of the existen
Link: https://www.facebook.com/BBCArchive/posts/onthisday-1973-nationwide-cameras-captured-incontrovertible-proof-of-the-existen/1439902209716138/Source snippet
Nationwide cameras captured incontrovertible proof of the...Helicopter UFO Coyne Mansfield 1973 The UFO & Helicopter incident of October...
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Source: facebook.com
Title: What happened in the skies over Charles Mill Lake on Oct
Link: https://www.facebook.com/ohiomagazine/posts/what-happened-in-the-skies-over-charles-mill-lake-on-oct-18-1973-still-sparks-cu/1392032946260763/Source snippet
Coyne said when he first encountered the UFO, his helicopter was cruising at 2,500 feet. He had the controls set for a 20-degree dive, bu...
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Source: ryan-sprague51.medium.com
Title: the coyne helicopter ufo incident 922d80c6a8b8
Link: https://ryan-sprague51.medium.com/the-coyne-helicopter-ufo-incident-922d80c6a8b8Source snippet
Coyne Helicopter UFO Incident | by Ryan Sprague | MediumKlass, a noted UFO skeptic, proposed that the crew had actually misidentified a m...
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Source: thislocallife.com
Link: https://www.thislocallife.com/5-ufo-cases-in-ohioSource snippet
ce Coyne and a crew of three men, was flying from Columbus...Read more...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/RichlandSource/posts/capt-lawrence-j-coyne-described-himself-as-a-skeptic-of-ufos-but-admitted-he-cou/3438125879567233/Source snippet
he couldn't provide a reasonable answer for what happened...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKVVGOMvCicSource snippet
Helicopter UFO Encounter - The Coyne Incident or The Mansfield Encounter 1973...
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Source: richlandcountyhistory.com
Title: ufos over richland county 1973
Link: https://richlandcountyhistory.com/2019/09/02/ufos-over-richland-county-1973/Source snippet
UFOs Over Richland County: 19732 Sept 2019 — The Captain of the helicopter that night was Larry Coyne, and his name is often used as a re...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cgeAklr2VMSource snippet
The Unexplained Coyne Helicopter UFO Incident with Military Pilots in 1973...
Published: October 18, 1973
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