Cash-Landrum Incident

December 29, 1980 — Huffman, Texas, USA

The Encounter

On the evening of December 29, 1980, Betty Cash (51), her friend Vickie Landrum (57), and Vickie's seven-year-old grandson Colby were driving on Farm to Market Road 1485 near Huffman, Texas when they encountered a large, diamond-shaped object hovering above the road. The object was emitting intense heat and intermittent bursts of flame from its underside.

The Object

The witnesses described a brilliant, diamond-shaped metallic object approximately the size of a water tower. It emitted a roaring sound and periodic blasts of flame that seemed to be keeping it aloft. The heat was so intense that Betty Cash, who exited the car for a closer look, found the car door handle too hot to touch when she returned. The dashboard of the car softened from the heat.

Military Helicopters

As the object moved away, the witnesses counted approximately 23 military-style helicopters surrounding and apparently escorting the object. Both CH-47 Chinook and Bell Huey helicopters were identified. This military presence suggests official knowledge of and response to the object, yet no branch of the US military has acknowledged involvement.

Health Effects

Within hours, all three witnesses developed symptoms consistent with radiation exposure: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin burns. Betty Cash suffered the most severely, losing patches of skin and hair, and was hospitalized for weeks. She developed cancer and attributed her declining health to the encounter until her death in 2004. A lawsuit against the US government was dismissed on the grounds that no such object existed in the military inventory.