Drury film, Port Moresby
- Date
- 23 Aug 1953
- Place
- Port Moresby, Papua (then an Australian territory), Papua New Guinea
- Record
- Curated case
- Assessment
- Unexplained
- Evidence strength
What was reported
Around noon on 23 August 1953 T.P. Drury, with his wife and son, saw an object emerge from a building cloud at great height and climb very fast towards the north-east, and filmed it with a movie camera. Air traffic control knew of no aircraft in the area. The Australian government sent the film to the United States for analysis, and it was later claimed that the footage returned to Drury lacked the frames showing the object. The case rests on the witness account, the film's custody record and the Australian government file reviewed by researcher Keith Basterfield; no conclusion on the object's identity is on record.
What officials concluded
No conclusion stated
No official explanation has been given.
Strongest ordinary reading
none established
Evidence profile
Sensors2 of 9
- Yes: Visual
- No: Infrared
- No: Radar
- No: Video
- No: Photo
- Yes: Film
- No: Audio
- No: Night vision
- No: Other sensor
Witnesses3 counted
- Yes: Civilian
- No: Military aircrew
- No: Military ground
- No: Airline crew
- No: Sensor operator
- No: Law enforcement
- No: Scientist
- No: Astronaut
- No: Intelligence official
- No: Other
Shapenot stated
- No: Light only
- No: Orb or sphere
- No: Disc
- No: Triangle
- No: Cylinder
- No: Cube
- No: Other shape
Effectsnone reported
- No: Physiological
- No: Physical trace
- No: Electromagnetic
- No: Sound
- No: Silent
Outside sources
- Project 1947 (Keith Basterfield): Drury film cold case reviewmail.project1947.com
On the map
9.44° S, 147.18° E, plotted at the town or city
Show on the map