Staxton: Can you assess the rate?

Schaffner: Contact in gentle descent. Am going with it...50...no about 70ft ... it's levelled out again.

Staxton: Is the ball object still with it? Over.

Schaffner: Affirmative. It's not actually connected ... maybe a magnetic attraction to the conical shape. There's a haze of light. Ye'ow ... it's within heat haze. Wait a second, it's turning... coming straight for me... am taking evasive action...a few...I can hardly...

Staxton: 94? Come in 94. Foxtrot 94, are you receiving? Over. Come in 94. Over.

At this point radio controllers at Staxton Wold had guided the Lightning Jet from Binbook to the mysterious craft that had now been causing havoc for radar trackers and RAF Stations for nearly four hours. Just as contacted was lost with Captain Schaffner a radar operator who had been tracking the Jet and the object watched in utter astonishment as the two blips on the radar screen which represented the fighter and the unknown slowly merged together, decelerating rapidly from over 500MPH until they became completely stationary at an altitude of 6,000ft above the North sea around 140 miles away from Alnwick. Two and a half minutes later the single blip came to a halt and it started to move again, accelerating to 600MPH and climbed to 9,000ft heading south back toward Staxton. Shortly after these events the single blip separated back into two, one maintained its southerly heading at between 600 and 630MPG and descending slowly the other turned through 180 degrees to head north-westerly and vanished at a speed that was later calculated at around 20,400MPH. During all these events a Shackleton MR3, which had been on patrol duty off the Firth of Fourth, was ordered to hold station around Flamborough head. At this point Staxton Wold re-established contact with Captain Schaffner -

Schaffner: GCI ... are you receiving? Over.

Staxton: Affirmative 94. What is your condition? Over.

Schaffner: Not too good. I can't think what has happened... I feel kinda dizzy... I can see shooting stars.

Staxton: Can you see your instruments? Over.

Schaffner: Affirmative, but er...the compass is useless.

Staxton: Foxtrot 94, turn 043 degrees. Over.

Schaffner: Er ... all directional instruments are out, repeat useless. Over.

Staxton: Roger 94, execute turn right, estimate quarter turn. Over.

Schaffner: Turning now.

Staxton: Come further 94. That's good. Is your altimeter functioning? Over.

Schaffner: Affirmative GCI.

Staxton: Descend to 3,500ft. Over.

Schaffner: Roger GCI.

Staxton: What's your fuel state 94? Over.

Schaffner: About 30 per cent GCI.

Staxton: That's what we calculated. Can you tell us what happened 94? Over.

Schaffner: I don't know. It came in close ... I shut my eyes ... I figure I must've blacked out for a few seconds.

Staxton: OK 94. Standby.

At this stage the Shackleton arrived over Flamborough Head and began circling before XS894 was vectored into the area by the Staxton controllers.

Schaffner: Can you bring me in GCI? Over.

Staxton: Er... Hold Station, 94. Over.

Several minutes past as Schaffner was left to circle the Flamborough area along with the Shackleton. In the meantime, Strike Command at Hight Wycombe had instructed Staxton Wold to request Schaffner to ditch his Lightning off Flamborough. Although the Captain had plenty of fuel to reach either Leconfield or his home base of Binbrook, it appears the reason for the decision to "ditch" was fear that the Lightning had somehow become contaminated during the mysterious events above the North Sea however a few weeks after the crash when the wreckage was recovered and examined there was no trace of any kind of contamination.

Staxton: Foxtrot 94. Can you ditch aircraft? Over.

Schaffner: She's handling fine. I can bring her in. Over.

Staxton: Negative 94. I repeat, can you ditch aircraft? Over.

Schaffner: Yeah ... I guess.

Staxton: Standby 94. Over. Oscar 77. Over.

Shackleton: 77. Over.

Staxton: 94 is ditching. Can you maintain wide circuit. Over.

Shackleton: Affirmative GCI. Over.

Staxton: Thanks 77. Stanby 94, execute ditching proceedure at your discretion. Over.

Schaffner: Descending now, GCI. Over.

Between six and seven minutes then elapsed.

Shackleton: He's down, GCI. Hell of a splash ... he's down in one piece though. Over.

Staxton: Can you see the pilot yet? Over.

Shackleton: Negative. We're going round again, pulling a tight one.

Two minutes later.

Shackleton: The canopy's up ... she's floating OK ... can't see the pilot. We need a chopper out here, GCI. No, no sign of the pilot. Where the hell...

Staxton: You sure he's not in the water, 77. Check your SARBE receptions. Over. (NOTE: SARBE was the Search and Rescue Beacon Equipment carried by all RAF aircrew.)

Story continues on Page 3.