An in-depth (re)view of the Cash/ Landrum case

Cash-Landrum investigation update:

Delayed to technical difficulties but,
Greg Bishop has posted the Radio Misterioso episode where we discuss the Cash-Landrum UFO case, with its recent developments and discoveries.

"... trying to get past both the misinformation that has been propagated by UFO investigators as well as the attempts of fundamentalist skeptics to explain it away as a hoax or misidentification. What emerges is a tale of selective attention and beliefs leading the investigations (or lack of them.) Collins is very careful to keep from falling into any set theory, and keeps his investigation open-ended."

radiomisterioso.com...
Available at iTunes or download the episode at: radiomisterioso.com...

Since it was recorded, I also joined Martin Willis on Podcast UFO for a follow up discussion on new details on the case and conversations with Colby Landrum.
(Interview begins at about 15:50)


As briefly discussed in the Podcast UFO show, I'm in touch with a former member of the Night Stalkers. He's cooperating with me, reviewing the helicopter operations and technical details reported in the Cash-Landrum case. On another front, I've located people with copies of an audio tape and two or three rare television programs from 1981 - 1984. Getting the material may not be easy.

The case was recently featured on the program "Close Encounters." currently broadcast on the Science Channel. As the name implies, the focus is solely on the encounter, and the aftermath and investigation are seriously shortchanged. The re-enactment is dramatic, but inaccurate. While the producers had access to some great resources, it just wasn't fact-checked properly. Still, I'm glad to see the case receiving exposure.

It seems that two other programs have expressed interest in the case, and I hope they will provide for a more accurate and detailed report. Keeping the case in the public eye will perhaps prompt someone with information to come forward.

reply to post by CardDown


Thanks CardDown for this interesting podcast! I'm lloking forward to your further researches and pieces of information you may get from you contacts!!!

Check out this Video, a NASA test flight, done in April 2014.

www.space.com...

It has a blueish flame coming out like described by the witnesses, but the constant and loud sound to keep the lander aloft makes me think that the vehicle in "our" case may be really some type of balloon with flames coming out irregular to make it ascend like a hot air ballon ?!

I found a Hydrazine data sheet which is quite interesting:

Hydrazine data sheet

"Potential Acute Health Effects:

Very hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant), of ingestion. Hazardous in case of skin contact (corrosive), of eye contact
(irritant), of inhalation. Slightly hazardous in case of skin contact (permeator). Liquid or spray mist may produce tissue damage particularly on mucous membranes of eyes, mouth and respiratory tract. Skin contact may produce burns. Inhalation of the spray mist may produce severe irritation of respiratory tract, characterized by coughing, choking, or shortness of breath. Severe over-exposure can result in death.

Potential Chronic Health Effects:
Hazardous in case of skin contact (permeator). CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS: Classified + (PROVEN) by OSHA. Classified
2B (Possible for human.) by IARC. Classified A2 (Suspected for human.) by ACGIH, 2 (Reasonably anticipated.) by NTP.
MUTAGENIC EFFECTS: Not available. TERATOGENIC EFFECTS: Not available. DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY: Not
available. The substance is toxic to blood, kidneys, lungs, the nervous system, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged
exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage. Repeated or prolonged contact with spray mist may produce
chronic eye irritation and severe skin irritation. Repeated or prolonged exposure to spray mist may produce respiratory tract irritation leading to frequent attacks of bronchial infection. Repeated exposure to an highly toxic material may produce general deterioration of health by an accumulation in one or many human organs."

So much for the "chemical agent and not non ionizing radiation" theory.

On another occasion I found 2 new (at least to me) videos which were uploaded just some months ago, the craft is shown in another fashion than before:




Because of lots of dead ends I was thinking about if it may be possible to get in touch with other persons, like pilot(s) of the supposed Nightstalkers or even the military guy who was on UFO hunters when Colby and the team asked him about the incident and he clearly lied....

Thanks a lot Curtis for the Podcast, a lot of great info there!!!!

Since I've exceeded the time limit to edit my post above I will post it this way :

In my recent research for names and persons who were involved in the C-L case I came across a name, John Alexander.

Mr. Alexander, staff officer in the US Army’s Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) in the 1980s, obiviously was involved in the investigation of this case, like Lt. Cl. George Sarran , a name that dropped before in this thread.

He mentions two other names of high ranking officials who also got involved:

- Navy captain Paul Tyler
- Richard Niemtzow, an Air Force MD.

I came across an "article", written / published by Paul Tyler about "Offensive Microwave Weapons":

"The attached paper, "The Electromagnetic Spectrum in LIC" by Capt. Paul E. Tyler, United States Navy, is perhaps unique in the declassified military literature. Here is a medical doctor and scientist (assigned at that time to the Naval Medical Research and Development Command) lecturing a military audience on the potential military applications of electromagnetic radiation (EMR)."

You can find it here: Declassified military literature

I found it quite interesting, since the article seems to be written in the early/ mid 80's ... I don't think the craft in question was testing some kind of weapon but maybe the pdf docs could give a hint for further research.

I also found some quite interesting tidbits about the other MD who was mentioned, Richard Niemtzow:

He served the Air Force in the period in question:

Jun 1980 to 31 Dec 1980 Captain, MC, Texas Air National Guard
31 Dec 1980 to 31 Dec 1982 Captain, USAF, MC (Active Duty).

You can find his Curriculum vitae: MD Niemtzow

By the way he received the "United States Air Force Achievement Medal • For Outstanding Achievement, Mar 1982", maybe he was the Commander for this special operation that night? (haha of course just speculation from my side )

Wouldn't it be a good start to get in contact with these guys? I don't know how to track down persons the best but maybe someone has an idea ?

Thanks for updates Dalbeck, the hydrazine information is worth studying more closely.

You may have missed this article on my blog with a discussion of John Alexander and the case: The DAIG Investigation of the Cash-Landrum UFO Incident, John B. Alexander’s Involvement and Opinions

Your other ideas are good, too. I have not been able to reach Col. Sarran, but have contacted a member of the Nightstalkers who joined about 2 years after the incident and served with originals members. He's provided lots of operational details which make it unlikely that this unit or any other Army helicopters were involved.

There are still some many possibilities and leads to re-examine. It's interesting that in the climate of heightened military secrecy of Ronald Reagan's presidency, that no one knew for sure that the Cash-Landrum case wasn't something another branch had been involved in. If nothing else, studying this case can shed light on how the government was handling UFO secrets in the 1980s.

Looks to me like it was a crashed 'Satellite' and a bunch of mass hypnosis

Nick Redfern recounts the Cash-Landrum case in his latest book, "Close Encounters of the Fatal Kind: Suspicious Deaths, Mysterious Murders, and Bizarre Disappearances in UFO History." Unfortunately, it's just a recap of the basic events and aftermath without any new investigation or comments on the recent documents uncovered.

Even so, I'm glad to see it featured and kept alive in the public memory. Whatever lies at the heart of its mystery, it is an important part of UFO history.

Basically everybody agrees that this event happened and most of evidence suggest a man made event , and military not speaking till this day.

what kind of secret project would break down on civilian area like that ? propulsion ?

originally posted by: milomilo
Basically everybody agrees that this event happened and most of evidence suggest a man made event , and military not speaking till this day.

what kind of secret project would break down on civilian area like that ? propulsion ?

Since it happened during the events of the Iranian hostage scenario I would suggest they tested an (obviosuly) "unfinished" craft, maybe something like an escaping pod... I like to draw a comparison to the Osama-bin Laden raid where they (US military) used stealth choppers which were unknown to the public eye (and still would be if one of the helicopters didn't crash as we all know) on just this special mission.

originally posted by: Dalbeck

originally posted by: milomilo
Basically everybody agrees that this event happened and most of evidence suggest a man made event , and military not speaking till this day.

what kind of secret project would break down on civilian area like that ? propulsion ?

Since it happened during the events of the Iranian hostage scenario I would suggest they tested an (obviosuly) "unfinished" craft, maybe something like an escaping pod... I like to draw a comparison to the Osama-bin Laden raid where they (US military) used stealth choppers which were unknown to the public eye (and still would be if one of the helicopters didn't crash as we all know) on just this special mission.

Well they did do work on rocket assisted C-130's at the time... I've also run into the odd mention of 'saucer shaped UAV's' that were supposed to factor into the rescue mission some how.

Suppose this was actually a dry run for an attempt to get into Tehren, using UFO stuff as cover/camouflage? Is the sighting location similar to Tehran in terms of climate/geography perchance?

originally posted by: Dalbeck

Since it happened during the events of the Iranian hostage scenario I would suggest they tested an (obviosuly) "unfinished" craft

i also thought of that but i dont think this is related.

maybe an SSTO experimental craft that got away from the labs ?

originally posted by: IsaacKoi

In the comments on one of Kevin Randle's blog posts in January 2011, just above a bunch of spam, is the following post that I don't recall spotting until today ... kevinrandle.blogspot.co.uk...

joe b. said... vickie,coby,and betty were not the only witnesses out there that night in 1980, I was right down the road on my way to houston, as i was coming from england air force base in alexandria louisiana! 4:55 PM

I found him! It turns out he made comments on another blog and also filed a full detailed report on the incident. I've since made contact with him and he stands by his statement. More details in this article:
Blue Blurry Lines: Additional Witness Testimony: Multiplication by Zero?

originally posted by: CardDown

originally posted by: IsaacKoi

In the comments on one of Kevin Randle's blog posts in January 2011, just above a bunch of spam, is the following post that I don't recall spotting until today ... kevinrandle.blogspot.co.uk...

joe b. said... vickie,coby,and betty were not the only witnesses out there that night in 1980, I was right down the road on my way to houston, as i was coming from england air force base in alexandria louisiana! 4:55 PM

I found him! It turns out he made comments on another blog and also filed a full detailed report on the incident. I've since made contact with him and he stands by his statement. More details in this article:
Blue Blurry Lines: Additional Witness Testimony: Multiplication by Zero?

Good catch CardDown! I hope you can nail down more info on this.

I've just discovered a video of a rare Japanese program with a segment on the Cash-Landrum case.
I'm trying to identify the show and when it was filmed. There's a mention of Area 51 at the end, so that suggests it was late 80s. I asked Norio Hayakawa, but he couldn't clarify much:

Yes, I did see this TV program many many years ago. It was a great 2-hour special including the Cash-Landrum case, Area 51 and many other relevant topics. Unfortuately, the only places that you can rent such 2-hour UFO Special programs are Japanese-owned videos stores in cities such as Los Angeles, etc.

The program has the witnesses discuss and reenact their experiences, but Colby did not participate. The UFO sighting recreation is flawed, but interesting. It clearly shows that the main encounter was split between two locations, but they base the appearance of the UFO on the drawings shown by the investigator, not what the witnesses described.


I'm hoping a Japanese-speaking member here can provide some more details.

Recent documentary.

SECOND COMING: DECEMBER 29, 1980: Betty Cash, Vickie Landrum and her grandson Colby are driving home after visiting a bingo hall in Dayton, Texas. On a country road, they encounter a large, diamond-shaped craft shooting fire out of its base. The heat is so intense it melts the vinyl of their vehicle's dashboard. They report seeing at least a dozen military helicopters in pursuit of the object. All three suffer physical symptoms similar to radiation poisoning and spend a decade pressing the U.S. government for answers.

a reply to: karl 12 Thanks Karl. Here's another one, known in the USA, as UFO Conspiracies.


There are two other programs coming in the near future that will discuss the Cash-Landrum case, NASA's Unexplained Files, and Hangar 1: The UFO Files. I don't expect too much, but I'm glad to see a new audience being exposed to it.

This thread continues to fascinate. The hydrazine hypothesis is not only possible but I would say more likely than a nuclear powered craft however another hypothesis has come to light in the book "Secrets of Antigravity Propulsion: Tesla, UFOs, and Classified Aerospace Technology" by Dr. Paul LaViolette, PHD. (ISBN 978-1-59143-078-0). See in particular page 263 which specifically references this sighting.

This tome, bristling with mathematical formulae has a section of sightings of alleged prototype antigravity craft and suggests that phase conjugate microwave propulsion might not only be the propulsion method of the craft but also if the propulsion method was not adjusted properly or was malfunctioning may be the cause for the medical effects in the people who saw the craft.

Over the years I've thought that perhaps this was a brute force but out of the box thinking type of design we experimented with and flew. The book actually includes several similar sightings that occurred around the same and later time by other people including one where a woman and her daughters were similarly burned (but not as bad) and another sighting was by a police officer who submitted a very detailed drawing. The drawing was a dead ringer for the Cash-Landrum craft.

Some years ago there was a discussion of an article in Popular Mechanics regarding UFOs and there was a sidebar article that talked about craft that had ejected molten metal when they were sighted and why. The sidebar article indicated some of these craft needed massive amounts of electricity to function and the military had a method where by running molten metal in a channel to activate a generator was one way of doing it. There are other methods besides nuclear energy to generate large amounts of electicity. The ejecting of the metal was if the system became overloaded. This didn't occur in the Cash-Landrum craft but one wonders if it was a real nuclear powered craft it may have had a similar system? I'm thinking specifically of T. Townsend Brown's flamejet designs which was part of "Project Winterhaven".

Makes you think more and more now. The thing seems too brute force to be a balloon but the behavior of the device sure seemed balloon like now that you mention it.

So certainly, the thoughts of an aerosol compound or hydrazine or possibly a microwave device gone awry nuclear or not might be a cause.

a reply to: Dalbeck

I've seen several shows about this so only scanned your write up but this seems like one of the stronger cases that caused physical effects. Others that I know of include Colores Island in Brazil and the Falcon Lake case in Canada just north of Wisconsin or Minnesota, I think.

The physical evidence makes these hard to deny but the media does this by simply refusing to cover it rationally.

As for it being made by man, not aliens as you believe, my best guess is if your right that they used technology they obtained from aliens and might be experimenting with us.

If I remember correctly the air-force wouldn't admit anything or pay for it and they had no access to medical care and Dr. McClelland arranged for financing. If they are using people for research they might want to make sure they got medical treatment by someone that would help study them. Not that I want to knock him for helping, given the choice between helping without disclosure and no help at all that is the better choice; but still we need to demand disclosure.

Thinking:
if this was a contractor owned test bird rather than owned by a division of the military then they could truthfully state they didn't have anything like that in their inventory. Plausible deniability. Keeps a secret thing secret and exempts them from any damage regardless of how bad that looks.

It's also 37 years to the day that this occurred. We're no closer to an answer than we were 10 years ago but some info is coming to light that we didn't have 10 years back. Perhaps we'll have an answer someday.