Flatwoods encounter

Record summary

What happened After a bright object crossed the evening sky, a group of local boys, adults and a dog climbed a nearby hill looking for where it might have landed. They reported a pulsing red light and then a tall figure with a dark body, bright eyes or face and a spade- or hood-shaped outline. The group fled, and some later reported nausea or throat irritation. Investigators connected the sky object to a meteor and proposed that the figure was a startled barn owl perched in a tree, its shape exaggerated by foliage, darkness and fear; the red light may have been an aircraft beacon. The encounter became a creature case because the witnesses interpreted a brief illuminated form at close range, not because an entity was photographed or captured. Evidence Multiple witnesses from one group, a documented meteor seen across several states and later site investigation. No confirmed landing trace or biological evidence was recovered. Explanations considered A meteor followed by misidentification of a barn owl is the dominant skeptical reconstruction. Stress, vegetation and a flashing red light could account for the unusual silhouette and reported movement. What remains uncertain The witnesses influenced one another and descriptions developed after extensive publicity. Reported illness was nonspecific and not linked to a measured exposure. Primary source Flatwoods monster — Wikipedia