Kaikōura Lights incident

Record summary

Commercial flight crews and television personnel reported unusual lights during flights near Kaikōura in December 1978. The case became prominent because some observations were reportedly recorded on radar and filmed, while New Zealand authorities and later investigators considered aircraft, fishing vessels, atmospheric effects, and other conventional possibilities. It matters for comparison because it combines airborne observation, ground or radar reports, media attention, and disputed film interpretation. The exact chronology, radar significance, and relationship between separate observations require checking against official records and contemporary reporting.