Eupen, November 29, 1989
About 5:15 p.m. Two policemen on patrol near Eupen saw a large triangular object. Three powerful lights shining down. A red flashing light in the centre. It moved slowly and silently over fields, then hovered near a dam. Over the following hours some 140 sightings were reported in the area. Some came from other police officers.
The wave
Through the winter and spring, reports of large triangles continued across Wallonia and Brussels. The Belgian civilian group SOBEPS collected around 2,000 reports. It worked with the Air Force, which took the unusual step of sharing radar data and holding a press conference.
F-16 intercept, March 30-31, 1990
Police reported lights. Two ground radar stations detected an unidentified target. Two F-16s were scrambled.
Their onboard radars locked on to a target several times. Recorded data showed the target changing altitude and speed abruptly, including a descent from 3,000 to 1,500 metres in seconds. The locks broke each time after a few seconds.
Later analysis by the Air Force and academics suggested that some of the radar behaviour was consistent with atmospheric effects, and the pilots never saw an object visually. But Colonel De Brouwer stated the Air Force could not explain the events.
The Petit-Rechain photograph
A triangle with three lights and a central red light. Taken in April 1990 in Petit-Rechain. Widely published, and for years considered the best UFO photo ever. In 2011 the photographer, known as 'Patrick M.', told Belgian television he had faked it with a painted polystyrene triangle.
Assessment
The Belgian wave stands out for the number of witnesses, the involvement of police and military, and the release of radar data. Skeptics attribute many reports to helicopters, aircraft, and the contagious effect of publicity. The F-16 data have been reinterpreted as likely instrumental artefacts. It remains the defining 'black triangle' case.
Comments (0)
No comments yet.