Cash-Landrum incident

The Cash-Landrum Incident is a reportedplastic dashboard, her hands left a permanent
Unidentified Flying Object sighting the witnessesimprint that later served as the most crucial
insist was responsible for damage to their health.evidence that all this had really happened. Cash
It might be classified as a Close Encounter of theturned on the air conditioning to cool the car, but
Second Kind, due to its reported physical effectsthe air grew so hot that their faces seemed to
on the witnesses.be on fire.
IncidentFinally, the object hovered higher in the sky. As it
At about 9:00pm on the evening of Decemberascended over the treetops, about 23 helicopters
29, 1980, Betty Cash, Vickie Landrum and Colbysurrounded it. Some of them where double-rotor
Landrum (Vickie's grandson) were driving nearChinooks similar to those used by military forces
Dayton, Texas when out of seemingly nowhere,around the world (several others would later state
a huge diamond-shaped object hovered nearlythey too had seen Chinook-type helicopters at
level to the treetops. The object began movingroughly the same time and place.) Even though
straight toward the trio. The object's base wasthe heat and terror of the situation was
expelling flame, and generated significant heat.overtaking her, Cash could clearly see the
Cash later told investigators that it was in similarmarkings on the sides of the helicopters. The
size to that of a water tower and "lit up theletters read United States Air Force.
entire sky".Allegedly, the UFO had also blasted the road,
Based on descriptions given in John F. Schuessler'sleading to claims in which the road surface,
book on the incident, it appears that thesurrounding area was removed, resurfaced,
observers were traveling south on the Texasostensibly to remove radioactive material.
roads FM 1485/2100. The initial location of theAftermath
reported object, based on the same descriptions,Health problems
was just south of Inland Road, approximately atAfter the UFO and helicopters left, Cash took the
30.0926 N, 95.1109 WLandrums home, then retired for the evening.
Vickie, a born again Christian, revealed that sheThat night, they all experienced similar symptoms,
initially interpreted the object as a sign of thethough Cash to a greater degree: All suffered
second coming of Jesus.from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and
As the object blocked the road, Cash stopped carfelt as though they'd suffered sunburns. Many
and observed it. Cash and Landrum got out ofblisters appeared on Cash's skin, and doctors
the car to examine the object. Cash later told anconcluded that Cash was the victim of radiation
investigator that when they saw the objectpoisoning. Eventually, she was hospitalized, and had
close-up they "... thought the end of the worldsuffered very ill health since sighting the object.
was coming ...". Landrum quickly returned to theDue to the Chinook helicopters' presence, the
car, but Cash stood there for a few minutes, notwitnesses presumed that at least one branch of
knowing what to do next. When she finallythe United States Armed Forces had, at the very
returned to the car, Cash realized that the heatleast, witnessed the object. Cash and Landrum,
was so intense that her fingers were burnedand Cody were interviewed at length by
when she touched the door handle.personnel at Bergstrom Air Force Base.
While all this happened, the object continuedLegal action
shooting flames in an apparently random manner.The victims sued the U.S government for $20
Cash was about to turn the car around when shemillion but on August 21, 1986, the U.S. District
realized that it was impossible since the road wasCourt judge dismissed their case, on the grounds
too narrow and the shoulders were dangerouslythat the United States Armed Forces did not
soft. When she suggested flooring the gas andhave such an object in their possession. The
driving directly through the object as anofficial investigation was conducted by Lt. Col.
alternative, Landrum screamed at her that it wasGeorge Sarran who concluded that "... There was
too risky.no evidence presented that would indicate that
For approximately 15 minutes, the trio sat in theArmy, National Guard, or Army Reserve
sizzling car and watched helplessly as the objecthelicopters were involved". The lawsuit was to
hovered overhead. Colby was crying andhave determined if the object was a secret
screaming, despite the efforts of his grandmother.military craft or a alien craft.
Cash estimated that the object was about 130Betty Cash died on December 29, 1998, exactly
feet in front of the car. At one point, the car18 years after her close encounter.
grew so hot that when Landrum pushed on the