Person · 21 October 1978
Frederick Valentich
Also known as Valentich, Fred Valentich
- Private pilot (Class Four instrument rating), about 150 hours; flying Cessna 182L VH-DSJ, 1978
Frederick Valentich was a 20-year-old private pilot with about 150 flying hours. He had obtained a Class Four instrument rating in May 1978, which allowed him to fly at night in visual conditions.
On 21 October 1978 he disappeared with his Cessna 182L over Bass Strait while describing to Melbourne Flight Service an unidentified object that he said was flying over and hovering above his aircraft. The Department of Transport's summary report records his injury as presumed fatal and the reason for the disappearance as undetermined.
Sources: Department of Transport, Aircraft Accident Investigation Summary Report V116/783/1047 (National Archives of Australia, NAA: B1497, V116/783/1047)
Facts and claims
- claimed In the recorded exchange with Melbourne Flight Service Unit on 21 October 1978 he said of the object: “it seems to me that he's playing some sort of game he's flying over me two three times at a time at speeds I could not identify”. — Frederick Valentich Source: doc-dot-valentich-summary-1982.pdf
Connected files
Documents
- Department of Transport: Aircraft Accident Investigation Summary Report on VH-DSJ (Valentich), 1982 (named in)
Incidents
- Frederick Valentich disappears over Bass Strait (21 October 1978) (witness) — Described an unidentified object to Melbourne Flight Service before his aircraft vanished over Bass Strait