Sighting record / 1976

Terrace RCMP constable blinded by a red light's flash, Highway 16, British Columbia, 1976

April 22, 1976 · Highway 16, about 6 miles west of Terrace, British Columbia, Canada

16Thinly documented UAP Unknown 13 sources

April 22, 1976. Night, and clear skies over Highway 16 in British Columbia. A Terrace RCMP constable was driving west, about 6 miles out of town. Two miles ahead, a red light began to flash. The patrol car rounded a curve. Now the light hung off to the left of the highway, about 100 yards above the trees. Then a bright flash struck the windshield. For a moment, the constable was blind. The light disappeared. Four minutes, start to finish. No shape, no other colour, no other witnesses. Just a report sent to the National Research Council, and a question that was never answered.

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Key facts

When	April 22, 1976
Time of day	night
Where	Highway 16, about 6 miles west of Terrace, British Columbia,Canada
Duration	4 minutes
Witnesses	1
Witness roles	police
Found	testimony only
Evidence	none confirmed
Investigations	Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Terrace detachment),National Research Council of Canada
Status	undisputed

The object

A single flashing red light, first seen two miles ahead on the highway, then off to the left about 100 yards above the trees. A bright flash on the patrol car's windshield temporarily blinded the constable before the light disappeared. No shape or other colour could be seen.

Altitude	about 91 m
Distance	about 3.2 km from the witnesses
Colour	red
Lights	1 light, single light, red, blinking
Duration	4 minutes
Weather	clear

Moose Jaw RCMP two-hour sighting ("The Tuxford Light") (related)

Context

In 1970s Canada, a strange light in the sky often went to science. Reports landed at the National Research Council, which filed them under a plain heading: "Non-Meteoric Sightings."

Sources (13, most influential first)

UFO emits bright flash that temporarily blinds RCMP constable, 1976 · Patrick Gross, UFOs at close sight· 2001-03-17 · Wiki, blog, podcast · blog
Canada's UFOs: The Search for the Unknown, database search for Terrace, BC · Library and Archives Canada · Official document · gov doc
LAC item record 4694-7018-12148 · Library and Archives Canada · Official document · gov doc
LAC image page, record 4694-7018-12148 · Library and Archives Canada · Official document · gov doc
Canadian official files index · Patrick Gross · Wiki, blog, podcast · blog