| The Cash-Landrum Incident is a reported | | | | hands left a permanent imprint that later |
| Unidentified Flying Object sighting the | | | | served as the most crucial evidence that all |
| witnesses insist was responsible for damage | | | | this had really happened. Cash turned on the |
| to their health. It might be classified as a | | | | air conditioning to cool the car, but the air |
| Close Encounter of the Second Kind, due to | | | | grew so hot that their faces seemed to be on |
| its reported physical effects on the | | | | fire. |
| witnesses. | | | | |
| | | | Finally, the object hovered higher in the |
| Incident | | | | sky. As it ascended over the treetops, about |
| | | | 23 helicopters surrounded it. Some of them |
| At about 9:00pm on the evening of December | | | | where double-rotor Chinooks similar to those |
| 29, 1980, Betty Cash, Vickie Landrum and | | | | used by military forces around the world |
| Colby Landrum (Vickie's grandson) were | | | | (several others would later state they too |
| driving near Dayton, Texas when out of | | | | had seen Chinook-type helicopters at roughly |
| seemingly nowhere, a huge diamond-shaped | | | | the same time and place.) Even though the |
| object hovered nearly level to the treetops. | | | | heat and terror of the situation was |
| The object began moving straight toward the | | | | overtaking her, Cash could clearly see the |
| trio. The object's base was expelling flame, | | | | markings on the sides of the helicopters. The |
| and generated significant heat. Cash later | | | | letters read United States Air Force. |
| told investigators that it was in similar | | | | |
| size to that of a water tower and "lit up the | | | | Allegedly, the UFO had also blasted the road, |
| entire sky". | | | | leading to claims in which the road surface, |
| | | | surrounding area was removed, resurfaced, |
| Based on descriptions given in John F. | | | | ostensibly to remove radioactive material. |
| Schuessler's book on the incident, it appears | | | | |
| that the observers were traveling south on | | | | Aftermath |
| the Texas roads FM 1485/2100. The initial | | | | |
| location of the reported object, based on the | | | | Health problems |
| same descriptions, was just south of Inland | | | | |
| Road, approximately at 30.0926 N, 95.1109 W | | | | After the UFO and helicopters left, Cash took |
| | | | the Landrums home, then retired for the |
| Vickie, a born again Christian, revealed that | | | | evening. That night, they all experienced |
| she initially interpreted the object as a | | | | similar symptoms, though Cash to a greater |
| sign of the second coming of Jesus. | | | | degree: All suffered from nausea, vomiting, |
| | | | diarrhea, weakness, and felt as though they'd |
| As the object blocked the road, Cash stopped | | | | suffered sunburns. Many blisters appeared on |
| car and observed it. Cash and Landrum got out | | | | Cash's skin, and doctors concluded that Cash |
| of the car to examine the object. Cash later | | | | was the victim of radiation poisoning. |
| told an investigator that when they saw the | | | | Eventually, she was hospitalized, and had |
| object close-up they "... thought the end of | | | | suffered very ill health since sighting the |
| the world was coming ...". Landrum quickly | | | | object. |
| returned to the car, but Cash stood there for | | | | |
| a few minutes, not knowing what to do next. | | | | Due to the Chinook helicopters' presence, the |
| When she finally returned to the car, Cash | | | | witnesses presumed that at least one branch |
| realized that the heat was so intense that | | | | of the United States Armed Forces had, at the |
| her fingers were burned when she touched the | | | | very least, witnessed the object. Cash and |
| door handle. | | | | Landrum, and Cody were interviewed at length |
| | | | by personnel at Bergstrom Air Force Base. |
| While all this happened, the object continued | | | | |
| shooting flames in an apparently random | | | | Legal action |
| manner. Cash was about to turn the car around | | | | |
| when she realized that it was impossible | | | | The victims sued the U.S government for $20 |
| since the road was too narrow and the | | | | million but on August 21, 1986, the U.S. |
| shoulders were dangerously soft. When she | | | | District Court judge dismissed their case, on |
| suggested flooring the gas and driving | | | | the grounds that the United States Armed |
| directly through the object as an | | | | Forces did not have such an object in their |
| alternative, Landrum screamed at her that it | | | | possession. The official investigation was |
| was too risky. | | | | conducted by Lt. Col. George Sarran who |
| | | | concluded that "... There was no evidence |
| For approximately 15 minutes, the trio sat in | | | | presented that would indicate that Army, |
| the sizzling car and watched helplessly as | | | | National Guard, or Army Reserve helicopters |
| the object hovered overhead. Colby was crying | | | | were involved". The lawsuit was to have |
| and screaming, despite the efforts of his | | | | determined if the object was a secret |
| grandmother. Cash estimated that the object | | | | military craft or a alien craft. |
| was about 130 feet in front of the car. At | | | | |
| one point, the car grew so hot that when | | | | Betty Cash died on December 29, 1998, exactly |
| Landrum pushed on the plastic dashboard, her | | | | 18 years after her close encounter. |