Incident · November 1977 · Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota
Ellsworth AFB N-5 silo incident
In November 1977, Air Force security policemen Mario Woods and Sgt. Michael Johnson answered an alarm at the November-5 (N-5) Minuteman silo near Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. Woods says they saw a massive, pulsating spherical craft hovering over the site, "the size of a Walmart building".
Both men describe hours of missing time, waking at a reservoir, being recovered, questioned separately and medically examined, after which the Air Force separated them and one was discharged. A joint hypnotic regression in 2026 produced accounts of beings and an examination aboard the craft.
The claims come from the two witnesses' interviews; no official record of the event has been released.
Sources: Interviews with Jesse Michels (2025–2026)
Facts and claims
- claimed Woods and Sgt. Michael Johnson answered a security alarm at the November-5 (N-5) missile silo and saw a massive, pulsating, spherical craft hovering over the site, “the size of a Walmart building”. — Mario Woods Source: Nuclear guard speaks out about UFO abduction: Mario Woods (American Alchemy, 2025) at 0:11
- claimed Both men describe hours of missing time, waking at a reservoir, being recovered, interrogated apart and medically examined. The Air Force then separated the two men and one was discharged. A joint hypnotic regression in 2026 describes beings and an examination aboard the craft. — Mario Woods Source: Air Force veterans abducted by aliens reunite 50 years later: Woods & Johnson (American Alchemy, 2026) at 39:49
Connected files
People
- Mario Woods (witnesses)
- Michael Johnson (witnesses)
- Richard Doty (alleged forgery by) — A 2026 episode argues the “L9 incident” document was a fabrication tied to Doty, meant to discredit the case
Videos
- Air Force veterans abducted by aliens reunite 50 years later: Woods & Johnson (American Alchemy, 2026) (subject of)
- Nuclear guard speaks out about UFO abduction: Mario Woods (American Alchemy, 2025) (subject of)