Unidentified Flying Objects Townsville Radar Area

This document is a series of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) message forms documenting a sequence of unidentified radar contacts in the vicinity of Townsville, Australia, between March 30 and March 31, 1978. The reports indicate that Townsville radar tracked multiple unidentified objects at various bearings and ranges. At 0201Z on March 30, an object was tracked at 085 degrees magnetic at 47 nautical miles, with an estimated speed of 180-200 knots. RAAF and civil authorities confirmed there was no known traffic in the area at the time. A Beach Baron aircraft was dispatched to intercept an unknown contact at 0217Z, but reported no visual sighting. Subsequent radar contacts were recorded throughout the period, including a contact at 070 degrees magnetic at 38 nautical miles with a speed of 148 knots. The document also notes that the ABC Evening News reported sightings on the afternoon of March 30, which were attributed to a ferry flight of two aircraft from Honiara to Sydney, though the Department of Transport (DOT) advised that there were three aircraft flying from Nandi to Sydney, all of which were accounted for at the time. The file was opened on April 3, 1978, and closed on February 13, 1980.