The case record
What was reported?
Aircrew saw unusual lights that were also reported on radar and filmed by a television crew.
The dates are bounds supplied by the workbook; they do not establish the exact day of an event.
- Reported date
- 21 Dec 1978 – 31 Dec 1978
- Witnesses
- Aircrew / radar / TV crew · Multiple
- Investigation
- New Zealand authorities / civilian researchers
Evidence in the record
Film; radar; eyewitness
Competing explanations
Official and research context
Conventional explanations proposed
Conventional explanations
Fishing boats, Venus, radar anomalies
Arguments that remain contested
Not all observations necessarily had one cause
Locations & timeline
Coordinates are representative. Area and route labels do not imply exact paths or object positions.
- Primary reference location
Airspace and coastal waters near Kaikōura
Kaikōura
Reported event location · Approximate area radius: 50 km
-42.400°, 173.700° · route · Medium
Record notes
Use route along Kaikōura coast.
Imported starting record; individual claims and source links await editorial verification.
Original dataset status: Partially explained / disputed