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The Finnish UFO Research Association (FUFORA), known as "Suomen Ufotutkijat ry" (SUT) in Finnish, was founded in Tampere in 1973. The association’s mission is to investigate unidentified flying objects (UFOs/UAPs), gather and disseminate information about UAP phenomena, and train UAP investigators. FUFORA also serves as a collaborative hub for UAP investigators, organizing seminars and online meetings. The association publishes "Yhteys" magazine several times a year, available exclusively to its members. Tampere UFO ry, a local UFO association in Tampere, is part of the broader FUFORA network.
Our archives are housed in Tampere, but our association operates on a national scale. Across Finland, FUFORA has approximately 300 members, including 60 who serve as official UFO investigators.
Our association maintains a neutral stance on the origin of UFOs. We do not assert that all UFO phenomena are beyond explanation, nor do we dismiss the possibility that some occurrences remain unexplained by modern science. In our view, effective UFO investigation requires a balance of critical thinking and open-mindedness—guided by common sense.
Some famous UFO cases
The UFO Fragment of Kallavesi
August 29, 1964
On Saturday, August 29, 1964, Raimo Blomqvist from Kuopio traveled with his parents to spend the weekend at their summer cottage on a small island in Lake Kallavesi, 13 kilometers from Kuopio. The weather was calm and relatively warm for the season, but the atmosphere was slightly dampened by a thick cloud cover and the looming threat of rain.
After taking care of the usual arrival chores, Raimo decided to go for a walk and headed toward a rocky shore on the other side of the island. While sitting on the rocks, sometime around 7 PM, he noticed a bright, star-like light in the northeast that rapidly increased in intensity. His first thought was that it was a meteor, so he curiously observed the object.
Soon, Blomqvist realized that the light was moving directly toward the island. It was flying very low and seemed to be descending gradually. Initially, he estimated its distance to be about five kilometers, but within a few seconds, it had approached the island. The object then slowed down, silently glided to about ten meters from the shore, and hovered a few meters above the water.
For some reason, Blomqvist remained unusually calm in front of the floating object—he was not frightened, only somewhat tense and cautious. It felt as if he were inside some kind of force field, making him decide to stay completely still. The light began to reveal more details: it shimmered with multiple colors, and within its glowing haze, a faintly visible oval, saucer-like object emerged, “like a plump fish pie.”
The object was about four meters in diameter and two meters high. One edge of the object appeared oddly bent upward, as if it had collided with something. Although the light emitted from the object was bright, it did not reflect significantly off the water. However, there was a ripple effect in the water directly beneath it, as if a faint breeze was stirring the surface. The object's outline was too blurry to distinguish any windows or other details.
After about twenty seconds, something dropped from underneath the saucer and fell into the water with a hissing sound near the shore. The detached piece appeared to be glowing intensely, almost like a blue welding flame. Blomqvist had a sudden feeling that this “egg-laying” might have been the main purpose of the object's visit, as shortly afterward, the craft exhibited signs of preparing for departure. Stripes of yellow, green, and orange on its surface began glowing brightly, the light thickened and flickered, and then the saucer suddenly shot upward so fast that Blomqvist barely had time to register what had happened. Within a second, it had pierced through the cloud cover at an altitude of 300 meters.
After recovering from his amazement, Blomqvist went down to the shore to search for the fallen object. It was easy to spot on the light-colored sandy bottom and turned out to be a flat, dark, irregularly shaped piece with rough edges, about four centimeters long. He pocketed the fragment and returned to the cottage but decided not to mention it to his parents, fearing they wouldn't believe him. The fragment remained in a drawer for over ten years until, in 1975, Blomqvist reported it to UFO researchers.
This case intrigued investigators, particularly because of the recovered fragment—it was the first of its kind in Finnish UFO research history. The fragment was examined at multiple universities and four metallurgy laboratories in Finland and Sweden. It contained 25 different elements, with 12 being present in significant amounts. It was not unusually radioactive, had poor electrical conductivity similar to insulating materials, but was distinctly magnetic.
Initially, experts hypothesized that it was a natural geological formation, but this theory was dismissed by Professor Edelman of Åbo Akademi after learning where it was found. Could it be a meteorite? That possibility was ruled out based on an elemental analysis conducted by Professor Papunen at the University of Turku. It was ultimately determined to be a “technical” object—something industrially manufactured. Further studies confirmed it was neither space debris nor a common industrial metal. In the end, there was no contradiction between the research findings and Blomqvist’s account, leaving the object's origin without a conventional explanation.
One particularly interesting detail in Blomqvist’s testimony adds credibility to his experience in an unexpected way. His observation of the saucer's bent edge initially seems absurd, but similar distortions have been observed in photographs taken by the controversial George Adamski in Maryland, USA, six months later. This phenomenon is believed to be caused by a strong electromagnetic field surrounding the object, acting like a lens and distorting visual perception, especially at close range. Blomqvist’s sensation of being in a force field aligns well with this theory.
Why did this unidentified craft drop a piece of metal on the shores of a lonely island in Lake Kallavesi? Given its irregular shape, it is hard to imagine it as a worn-out or broken part discarded during a maintenance operation.
Translated from sources:
Mikko Toivola: Tämä putosi ufosta? Ultra 12/77, s. 4-5
Olavi Kiviniemi : Kallaveden "ufonkappale", Ultra 12/77, s. 5-6
Quarter Report 4/77, Suomen ufotutkijat ry
The Metal Pot of Pyyvaara
June 14, 1967
In the summer of 1967, an unusual UFO sighting occurred in Suomussalmi, Finland. The unidentified object was of a rare type, observed from close range in broad daylight, witnessed by multiple people, and investigated by a diverse and qualified team of experts—without reaching any conclusions.
Around noon on June 14, farmer Arvi Juntunen was greasing his harrow in the yard of his house. His brother, Veikko, was nearby, applying tar to a sled runner. The weather was sunny and calm. Suddenly, a loud whooshing sound came from the sky, resembling the approach of a whirlwind. At the same time, the top of a nearby rowan tree began swaying violently.
Juntunen turned toward the sound and was stunned to see a small, upside-down pot-shaped object just six or seven meters away. It was hovering about half a meter above the ground. He estimated its diameter at 70–80 centimeters, with a height of half that. The sun gleamed off its brownish surface, and there was a wing-like protrusion on its side. The lower part of the object appeared to be spinning rapidly.
At first, Juntunen thought the object was something carried in by the windstorm. He decided to grab it. As he approached within about three meters, three thin antenna-like wires suddenly emerged from the object’s side. The outermost antennas then turned toward the middle one, and although they did not touch Juntunen, he felt a pulsating electrical shock-like sensation.
Startled but determined, Juntunen pulled off his hat and threw it at the antennas. The attempt had no effect other than the powerful air pressure surrounding the object hurling his hat more than ten meters away.
What followed was a bizarre, seemingly pointless display. The object rose higher and began erratically flying around the yard, darting in all directions—up, down, left, right—like an angry horsefly with its antennas pointing forward. Juntunen realized this was something worth seeing, so he shouted for his wife and children inside the house to come outside. They did not hear him. However, two neighboring women, Liisa and Sirkka Keränen, heard his call and rushed out. A five-year-old boy, Aarne Keränen, had already come running to tell them about the strange flying object, but since he was so young, the adults had not taken him seriously at first.
Now, five witnesses watched what was likely the strangest sight of their lives. The small craft’s erratic flight continued long enough that it could have been photographed—if only a camera had been available. Eventually, the object began ascending at an angle toward the northwest and then vanished into the sky. The entire, silent spectacle lasted approximately 15 minutes.
It is possible the same mysterious object had already been near the house before noon. Earlier that day, the children from Pyyvaara had suddenly run indoors, excitedly asking the adults to come see a “helicopter.” However, at that time, nothing had been spotted or heard.
The case attracted significant attention, and witnesses were interviewed by members of the Kainuu Border Guard, UFO researchers from Oulu, and journalists. Yet, despite the thorough investigation, no explanation was found. Later, it emerged that a similar object had been seen six weeks earlier at Lake Vuosselinjärvi in Kuusamo. Three local fishermen witnessed the event but chose to remain silent about it for two years—possibly because they learned about the Pyyvaara case and decided it was time to share their own experience.
Translated from sources:
Tapani Kuningas: UFOja Suomen taivaalla
Raimo Miekka: Ufot - aikamme mysteeri (movie)
Kyröläinen-Teerikorpi: Ufojen arvoitus
The Seven Balloons of Pori
April 12, 1969
The claim that "professional pilots have never seen UFOs" was once widely circulated in newspapers, but it has since disappeared from public discourse. The following case, witnessed by dozens of Finnish pilots, may have contributed to that shift.
On April 12, 1969, Jouko Kuronen, a pilot serving in the Finnish Air Force, was preparing to depart from Pori Airport for a navigation flight to Kuopio with a fellow aviator around midday. The weather was clear and sunny. A light breeze blew at ground level, but meteorological data indicated that at an altitude of three kilometers, strong northward winds were blowing at approximately 185 km/h.
Kuronen taxied his aircraft to the runway following instructions from air traffic control. At that moment, he became aware of an unusual radio conversation between the flight controller and a fighter pilot, Tarmo Tukeva, who was about to begin a dive attack exercise in a Fouga Magister aircraft.
“Hey, 286, abort your dive and take a look at what appears to be about seven balloons above you,” the controller said over the radio.
Tukeva acknowledged the command: “Roger, aborting the dive—turning right toward them.”
“They’re stationary over the airfield—altitude somewhere between 1,500 and 3,000 meters—looks like there are seven of them.”
“Understood, initiating climb.”
Listening to the conversation, Kuronen turned his aircraft slightly on the ground to get a better view. He immediately spotted a formation of seven yellow, disc- or ball-shaped objects hovering motionless over the airfield.
Meanwhile, Tukeva's aircraft was approaching the objects, and the radio conversation continued. Both air traffic control and radar operators confirmed they had locked onto the unknown targets.
Tukeva banked his Fouga Magister toward Pori city to get a clearer look at the situation. As he approached, he observed that the objects had a generally round shape but appeared somewhat indistinct. Lacking clear reference points, he found it impossible to estimate their exact distance.
Then, suddenly, an unexpected event occurred. The objects shifted into a formation and began moving rapidly northward, accelerating at an incredible rate. The strong headwind appeared to have no effect on their speed.
“You won’t catch them,” the controller told Tukeva. “They’re racing north at high speed.”
And indeed, the "balloons" moved so fast that, even though Tukeva's jet was flying at 700 km/h, it seemed to be standing still in comparison. Within a single minute, the objects were already seen over Vaasa, nearly 200 kilometers north.
One striking aspect of the Pori UFO encounter was the presence of highly advanced observation equipment. Radar and radio tracking confirmed the sighting, ruling out common misinterpretations such as aircraft, weather balloons, or optical illusions. Despite these confirmations, the “balloons” remained unexplained.
Translated from sources:
Tapani Kuningas: UFOja Suomen taivaalla
Raimo Miekka: Ufot - aikamme mysteeri (movie)
Tapani Koivula: Ufojen kosminen viesti
Juhan af Grann: Vieraita taivaalta (movie)
The Humanoid of Imjärvi
January 7, 1970
If you open a globally published UFO book, you might come across an image of two rugged men bundled up in thick fur coats, trudging through knee-deep snow in a mountainous landscape. You might rub your eyes in astonishment when you read that their names are Aarno Heinonen and Esko Viljo. You've stumbled upon one of Finland's most internationally famous UFO cases, a story that has taken on a life of its own worldwide. But what really happened?
On January 7, 1970, Heinonen and Viljo, both residents of Imjärvi, a rural area in Heinola, Finland, set out for their usual afternoon ski trip at around 4 PM. The weather was clear, with a temperature of approximately -17°C. After skiing for about half an hour, they decided to take a short break. That’s when an unexpected and life-altering event began.
Esko Viljo was the first to notice something unusual. From the south, a long, fire-colored object approached, trailing what looked like a burning torch behind it. It made no sound. Then, it briefly disappeared, only to suddenly reappear above them as a bright, cloud-like burst of light.A buzzing sound, similar to a swarm of bees, filled the air. Within moments, a light gray, saucer-shaped craft emerged above them, hovering about three or four meters overhead. Heinonen instinctively tried to flee but found himself paralyzed, unable to move.
The object was approximately two meters in diameter. On its underside, three faintly glowing hemispheres were visible, with a tube-like structure rising from the center into the craft. On either side of the tube, light flickered. As the craft steadied, a grayish-red mist began to pour from it. A pungent, sulfur-like odor filled the air, irritating their noses and throats. The mist grew denser until, from within it, a glowing 15-centimeter orb emerged and floated about a meter above the snow. Then, something astonishing happened. The orb suddenly expanded into a luminous disc, about a meter in diameter, which gradually changed color from pale to fiery red. Around its edges, a dark, one-centimeter-thick ring formed.
The disc began emitting beams of red, green, and violet light, each about ten centimeters long, which shot out in all directions up to three meters away. As this occurred, Heinonen felt a strong force pulling him backward at the waist. Then, the dark ring on the disc started to contract and rise, transforming into an elongated oval shape that quickly shot upwards.
When Heinonen glanced at Viljo, he was shocked to see a small humanoid figure standing nearby. The being was clad in a pale green protective suit and was holding a black device in its hands. Viljo, who was facing the bright phenomenon directly, also saw the figure. It was visible for only a couple of seconds before suddenly vanishing.
The mist then seemed to "split" apart around Viljo and dissipated. The entire event had lasted about ten seconds. Strangely, no marks were left in the snow where the craft had been.
The two men stood in stunned silence. Then, about three or four minutes later, they began experiencing unusual physical symptoms. Heinonen, who had been standing with his right side facing the object, felt an intense coldness on that side of his body. Moments later, the sensation reversed, and he became unbearably hot. His leg and arm started to feel numb, and his joints ached. He felt a stabbing pain in his back, forcing him to hunch over. Nausea followed.
The men struggled back to their homes. Though the distance was only about 500 meters, it took them over 20 minutes to cover it. Heinonen briefly described his condition to his family before heading to Viljo’s house. Initially, Viljo hadn’t noticed any symptoms, but within two hours, his face swelled, and his skin—on both his face and hands—turned red. His eyes became sensitive to light, and he felt a pressing sensation in them. His joints began aching, and he developed a headache.
Concerned about their worsening conditions, they took a taxi to the Heinola clinic. The doctor was unable to diagnose their ailments and simply prescribed them sleeping pills. They returned home and went to bed.
The next morning, their symptoms had not improved. Heinonen struggled to get out of bed, and when he did, his legs felt weak, and his back remained hunched. His headaches and nausea returned, forcing him to see another doctor, who prescribed sedatives. However, these only made things worse. Over the following weeks, Heinonen’s balance deteriorated, his memory became unreliable, and he suffered from nightmares. It took four months before he was well enough to attempt working again.
Viljo also experienced lingering effects, but his condition was slightly better, allowing him to maintain his ability to work.
For Heinonen, the encounter changed his life. He began developing strange abilities, and his UFO experiences did not end with the Imjärvi sighting. In the years that followed, he reported dozens of encounters, during which he claimed to have met various extraterrestrials. One of them, a so-called "humanoid girl," became particularly well-known.
Translated from source:
Tapani Kuningas: UFOja Suomen taivaalla
The Traffic Disruptor of Imatra
August 24 (?), 1970
Unidentified flying objects are known to have caused various physical disturbances when flying close to the ground—some visible, some tangible. In most cases, these effects have been harmless. However, that has not always been the case.
In late August 1970—most likely on the 24th—Aatto Storgård, a railway yard supervisor in Imatra, left his home around midday to head to work. He started his car at 12:10 PM and drove onto the road. A few minutes later, as he approached the Karhumäki intersection in the Linnala district, something extraordinary happened.
Without warning, Storgård noticed a large unidentified object rising from the edge of the sidewalk about 60 meters ahead. As it lifted, it created a vortex or force field that violently disturbed nearby objects. Temporary traffic barriers and road signs placed at the intersection were flung to the ground. A sewer cover was also lifted out of place.
Sensing danger, Storgård decided to stop his car and step out, fearing that if the vehicle entered the force field, it might be overturned. Other drivers made the same decision—two cars halted behind Storgård’s vehicle, and three more stopped on the other side of the flying object. Altogether, six cars came to a standstill.
The object rose to a height of about two meters and then began moving horizontally toward the east, in the direction of the Vuoksi River. It was oval-shaped and had a dull gray surface. It measured approximately six meters in diameter and about two meters in height. No distinct features such as windows, lights, or markings were visible.
A peculiar aspect of the disturbance was that, although the object's force field violently displaced road signs and barriers, it did not stir up any dust. Similarly, when the object passed over the Vuoksi River—still maintaining an altitude of around two meters—the water surface remained completely undisturbed. After about a minute of flight, the object suddenly disappeared.
Analyzing the chaotic scene left behind, researchers speculated that the force responsible for moving the traffic signs and sewer cover was likely a powerful magnetic field surrounding the object. This would explain why metal objects were affected while dust and water remained undisturbed. Magnetic fields are known to interact with ferrous materials but have no impact on ordinary dust or clean water.
Similar observations of UFOs causing electromagnetic disturbances have been reported worldwide. However, one mystery remained: why didn’t the metal objects in Imatra get pulled toward the airborne object? A few possible explanations were considered: the magnetic field may not have been strong enough, or the movement of the object itself might have created turbulence, weakening the magnetic pull.
Despite the dramatic nature of the incident—occurring in broad daylight, in the middle of a populated area with multiple witnesses—there was no public outcry or media coverage. None of the bystanders reported the event immediately. The story only surfaced a year and a half later.
This lack of response is not unusual in UFO cases. Psychological factors often come into play—witnesses fear ridicule, or they assume someone else will report the incident. It has been estimated that only about one in a hundred UFO sightings ever gets officially recorded.
Translated from source:
Tapani Kuningas: Ufojen jäljillä
The Dishwater of Kuusamo
January 3, 1971
On the morning of Sunday, January 3, 1971, several eyewitnesses in the village of Saapunki, Kuusamo, observed a bright ball of light moving slowly above the Pitkäperä section of Saapunki Lake. The first sighting was reported at the eastern end of the lake around 6:00 AM, while the last observation occurred about 15 minutes later, three kilometers further west.
The light moved at a walking pace, hovering 8–10 meters above the frozen lake. This allowed observers on the opposite shore to see it against the backdrop of trees. Despite a fierce southwesterly snowstorm, the object advanced steadily against the wind. The temperature was around -20°C.
Eyewitnesses saw the light from multiple locations, and its brightness was so intense that it illuminated the surrounding landscape within a three-kilometer radius, despite the dense snowfall. As the object passed houses along the shoreline, their interior lights flickered and briefly went out. Some witnesses initially struggled to estimate the object’s size due to its overwhelming brightness, but as it slowed down, they assessed its diameter to be around ten meters. The phenomenon made no sound that could be linked to it.
Officials from the local power company later confirmed that no electrical outages had been reported during that time, despite the storm.
Upon reaching the lake’s western shore, the light moved up onto the riverbank and stopped at approximately 6:15 AM, hovering behind the garden of Mauno and Martta Talala, about 20 meters from their home. The couple had just gotten up and were having coffee by the window when both simultaneously noticed an incredibly bright light outside. It was so intense that they could not look directly at it and had to glance at it from the side.
Still in his nightclothes, Mauno hurried to get dressed, intending to step outside for a closer look. However, before he could do so, the light suddenly vanished. At the same moment, the house’s power went out and remained off for about a minute.
Outside observers saw the light fade into a small glowing dot before ascending into the sky. Martta Talala ran to the porch to get a better view, but the darkness had already returned.
Later that morning, the couple’s son, Timo, found an unusual trace on the ground at the exact location where the light had hovered. The mark was about six meters long and over three meters wide. At its center was a pear-shaped area covered in a thin layer of ice. The icy patch measured approximately 2 x 3.5 meters. Its color was a striking green, darker in the middle and fading toward the edges. The snow within this area had melted to about half its original thickness but had not completely disappeared. In the very center of the mark, a small patch of ice contained clusters of thin, finger-sized icicles.
Two days later, on January 5, local newspaper Koillissanomat published the story, bringing it to public attention. By the following day, the case had spread to national newspapers.
The first official theory came from Dr. Birger Wiik of the Geological Survey of Finland, who speculated that the witnesses had confused two separate events: a meteorite impact and naturally frozen water. However, a few weeks later, after receiving a sample from the site, he revised his hypothesis—now claiming the event was caused by lightning striking a discarded bucket of dishwater.
Although Dr. Wiik admitted that the light phenomenon itself remained unexplained, he refused to abandon his dishwater theory. Other laboratories, however, reached entirely different conclusions.
At the Oulu Oy industrial laboratory, tests showed that the ice contained significant amounts of titanium and plant cell tissue in a state of decay. The titanium did not appear to have originated from the local soil or surrounding environment. Its even distribution suggested that it had been part of a compound substance. The plant matter was also distinct from the vegetation naturally found at the site.
Additionally, the dishwater theory was undermined by the fact that the greenish coloration was present only in the upper layers of ice. Had someone dumped dishwater there, the discoloration would have extended into the deeper layers as well. Moreover, no traces of coliform bacteria—common in household wastewater—were found in the samples.
The insistence on the dishwater explanation also highlighted the growing disconnect between urban professionals and rural life. Any housewife in the countryside would know exactly where she had thrown out her dishwater, making the claim seem not only inaccurate but also somewhat insulting.
Translated from source:
Tapani Kuningas: Ufojen jäljillä
The Blinding Light of Oulu
November 12, 1976
On the evening of Friday, November 12, 1976, seven school-age boys gathered in a small wooden shelter deep within the woods of the Rusko district in Oulu. Around 8 PM, their evening took an unexpected turn when they noticed an eerie glow coming from the northwest, beyond the trees. The light appeared bright yellow, with a slight bluish tint.
Eero Lammi, a 19-year-old with training as an electrician, observed the glow for a while before concluding that it could not have been a welding flame.
As the boys watched in amazement, two additional flashes appeared to the right of the glow, toward the northeast. These flashes were much brighter than the stars and moved rapidly behind the trees. Almost immediately after they disappeared, the boys spotted two bright yellow spheres hovering just 30–40 meters away at a height of about 1.5 meters above the ground.
Because there were trees behind the lights, the boys could estimate the distance quite accurately. Despite an obstructing thicket of shrubs, they noticed that the brightness of the spheres constantly fluctuated. At their smallest, with a diameter of about one meter, they shone their brightest. As they expanded to around 1.5 meters in size, they dimmed slightly.
Lammi and his friend, Seppo Moilanen, decided to approach the lights. However, as they closed the distance to about 10 meters, they hesitated and turned back. It was at that moment that Lammi noticed a sudden bright flash above him.
The next thing he knew, he was in pain. A searing, burning sensation shot through his chest, his vision turned red, and then everything went black. With a cry of agony, he collapsed onto the forest floor, lying on his back with his arm stiffly curled over his chest.
Moilanen, who had been walking beside Lammi, saw a bright beam of light shoot from above, striking Lammi in the chest. The beam then continued downward, fading about a meter away from his feet.
The other boys rushed to their fallen friend. At first, they feared he was dead. In a panic, they carried him back to the shelter. Lammi’s entire body was stiff, but once inside, he began showing signs of regaining consciousness. He attempted to stand, but his legs wouldn’t support him.
The boys laid him down on a couch, checked his pulse, and found it had dropped to an alarming 40 beats per minute. After a few minutes, he began muttering weakly: “It hurts… the light… the light…” Slowly, he became more alert, though his chest remained sore.
At this point, the boys decided to head to Moilanen’s house, about 200 meters away. Before leaving, they noticed that the strange lights had vanished.
Once at home, they examined Lammi more closely. The skin on the center of his chest, just below the ribs, was red and covered in tiny pinprick-like marks. Under a magnifying glass, it looked as though someone had pricked his skin with dozens of needles. A similar reddish mark was also found on his back.
By the next morning, Lammi was feeling much better, with only mild tenderness in his chest. By midday, the redness had faded completely.
The boys returned to the site that evening, hoping to find evidence of what had happened. They believed they discovered three triangular indentations in the ground, but when local UFO researchers arrived a couple of days later, the marks were gone. It had snowed lightly since the incident, but the investigators also suspected that the "triangular marks" could have been the product of overactive imaginations. The terrain in the area was uneven and covered in loose, soft soil, which could create misleading patterns.
Further credibility was given to the boys’ account when it was revealed that several other witnesses—two teenage girls from a neighboring house and a married couple living half a kilometer away—had also seen strange lights that evening. After the story gained attention, two additional reports surfaced, one from an assistant professor at the University of Oulu. However, no one else had witnessed the mysterious energy beam.
Translated from sources:
Quarter Report 4-76, Suomen ufotutkijat ry
Ultra 11-12/76, page 2
Tapani Koivula: Outo säde tyrmäsi nuorukaisen, Ultra 1/77, pages 4-5
The UFO Fleet of Pahkakoski
March 19, 1979
When evaluating the significance of a UFO sighting, factors such as the duration of the observation, the number of objects seen, and the intensity of the experience all play a role. By these criteria, the event that took place near the Pahkakoski power plant in Yli-Ii, Finland, on March 19, 1979, ranks among the most remarkable UFO sightings in the country’s history.
Teuvo Kovalainen, a heavy-equipment operator, had started his night shift at 10 PM on March 18 at a work site located about 300–400 meters southwest of the power plant. His job involved monitoring groundwater pumping operations, taking measurements every hour. The night was exceptionally clear, with freezing temperatures and no fog or mist.
At midnight, Kovalainen took a break and walked toward a small work cabin on the northern bank of the Iijoki River. As he crossed the dam bridge, he noticed a large reddish light descending beyond a distant forest. He speculated that it could be a Soviet space object making a controlled descent. After drinking his coffee, he returned to work.
At 1:30 AM, Kovalainen was on his way back from a routine measurement when he spotted another bright reddish light, this time about 400 meters away, moving at a steady walking pace toward the west. He found the sight unusual but did not yet connect it to anything extraordinary.
At 1:45 AM, as he was heading for his meal break, he noticed an even more striking sight. A powerful red light was visible about four kilometers downstream from the power plant. "There’s something strange going on here!" he shouted over the intercom to the plant’s control operator, who then stepped outside to take a look.
The two men began closely observing the approaching object. It hovered about ten meters above the ground, and based on the lights, they concluded it was some kind of craft. One side of the object emitted a reddish glow, while the opposite side glowed blue. As it advanced westward, it appeared to rotate around its vertical axis, alternately revealing its red and blue sides. The light did not come from a single source; rather, it seemed to be a diffuse glow extending two to three meters beyond the object itself.
The men watched the phenomenon for about half an hour. They noted a second, fainter set of red and blue lights on the craft’s upper section. Afterward, they left the site to check another power plant six kilometers away. During that trip, they saw nothing unusual.
Upon returning to Pahkakoski at just before 3 AM, the men were shocked by what they saw. Previously, there had been just one unidentified craft. Now, there were two hovering about 600 meters southwest of the dam. But that wasn’t all—when they looked further to the left, they saw many more glowing objects. The number was difficult to determine as the lights kept moving, but they estimated at least 14 or 15 craft.
The control operator had to return to the plant, but Kovalainen stayed on the bridge, determined to observe the phenomenon in greater detail.
He noticed that the two nearest objects had what appeared to be directional lights. One pointed toward Oulu, while the other faced the dam. Suddenly, the latter object made an astonishingly rapid movement, shifting 200–300 meters to the left in less than a second, vanishing behind the forest. The other craft lowered itself almost to the snow-covered ground, making it easier to discern.
For the first time, the shape of the craft became clear—Kovalainen could see that it was disc-shaped. He estimated its diameter to be around 30 meters. The structure was divided into two distinct sections. The upper part had two openings, each about 2–3 meters wide, located on opposite sides. The bottom section was relatively flat, with a base diameter of around ten meters.
Over the next 30 minutes, Kovalainen watched as the crafts continued to hover in the area. He considered approaching them, but caution held him back. Throughout the entire observation, no flames, smoke, or exhaust were visible, and no sound was heard. At one point, the object closest to him projected a bright beam of light onto the ground and made a slight rocking motion.
Gradually, the crafts started moving westward. Kovalainen followed their slow procession until dawn. The last visible object was still present at 5:45 AM. By then, the morning light had fully arrived, and the craft, now appearing “as large as a house,” slowly disappeared into the horizon.
The event left many questions unanswered. Why had the UFO fleet lingered near the power plant for over four hours? Was the craft closest to the plant experiencing some kind of malfunction? Was it trying to draw energy from the facility? Given the frequency of UFO sightings near power plants and transmission lines worldwide, one intriguing theory emerged—perhaps extraterrestrials saw Earth’s power plants as a kind of interstellar refueling station!
Translated from sources:
Ultra-magazine 1-8/80
Communication with a Flashlight
September 16, 1979
In the autumn of 1979, a mysterious sequence of events unfolded on a remote lake in Central Finland. Though the incident appeared harmless on the surface, it contained unsettling elements that ultimately drove one family to flee the area in fear. The events suggest that the phenomenon was caused by an entity with advanced technology or abilities beyond human comprehension.
It all began innocently enough on the evening of September 16. Heimo Kataja (a pseudonym) and his family had arrived at their secluded lakeside cabin to spend the weekend. The weather was cloudy, with a light breeze coming from the lake.
At around 9 PM, Kataja noticed a bright point of light hovering between two islands, approximately one kilometer south of his shoreline. Assuming it was night fishermen illegally using lamps to attract fish, he decided to have some fun and flashed his flashlight toward the light, turning it on and off several times.
To his surprise, the light immediately dimmed and then went out completely. Kataja turned to his son, Raimo (also a pseudonym), and said, "They saw my signal!" Then, thinking nothing more of it, they went inside.
Less than a minute later, Kataja stepped back outside—and was startled to see that the light had reappeared, now in the southwest and significantly closer. Curious, he repeated his flashing signal.
This time, the response was immediate and much more dramatic. The light didn’t just flicker back—it directed a powerful beam of light straight at him. The beam soon faded, but the original light remained, until it suddenly began gliding silently toward a nearby island. Then, things became even stranger.
From behind the island, a second light appeared. This one also emitted a strong beam that swept across the sky, as if searching for something. Kataja was stunned—he hadn’t seen such a powerful spotlight since wartime searchlights. As the first light reached the second, the second light switched off. The first light then altered its course, moved out toward the open lake, increased its speed, and faded into a luminous mist as it disappeared toward the horizon.
By now, Raimo had joined his father to witness the bizarre display. "Let’s say goodbye properly," Kataja joked, flashing his light once more. The distant glowing mist suddenly re-illuminated with a bright flash—and then began turning back toward them.
Kataja, now growing uneasy, told Raimo to fetch their camera. Once it was set up, Raimo took a long-exposure photograph of the light. Then, the light stopped, flickered a few times, and vanished. At the same moment, the second light—now forgotten—reappeared. This time, it shot forward at great speed, crossing the lake and disappearing into the horizon. Once again, the lake was plunged into total darkness.
Kataja and his son remained outside for a long time, trying to make sense of what they had seen. They considered the possibility that they had witnessed boats moving on the lake. However, based on their daytime knowledge of the area, they knew that if the lights had been from motorboats, the engine noise would have been clearly audible long before the lights were visible.
One week later, the family returned to the cabin. They observed the lake carefully all evening, but nothing unusual appeared. Just before bedtime, Kataja did one last check outside.
To his shock, a thin beam of light suddenly emerged from beyond the lake’s far shore, stretching high into the sky. He called Raimo outside, and together they watched as the beam slowly faded. Then, a bright light appeared at its upper end, growing in intensity before it began moving toward the northeast. As it traveled, it gradually faded and disappeared. That night, there were no further events.
Three weeks later, on October 14, the family visited the cabin again. At 8:15 PM, Kataja once more spotted a small bright light in the same location as before. He decided to flash his light at it again.
This time, the response was swift—the light immediately moved out toward the lake, flashed back at them, turned into a glowing mist, and disappeared into the horizon. Moments later, a powerful searchlight-like beam swept across the sky. Then, all went dark again.
Later that night, the family saw multiple flashes of light behind the distant shoreline but assumed that the immediate area was clear. They continued their routine until 11 PM, when they finally decided to go to bed.
Just before heading inside, Kataja had an impulsive thought—he turned back toward the lake and flashed his light one final time.
That was a mistake.
Immediately, bright lights erupted all over the lake. A single glowing sphere appeared first, followed by a second, a third, and then a fourth—each spaced about half a kilometer apart.
The lights began moving together, forming a tight formation as they glided quickly toward the cabin.
Kataja, realizing the situation was becoming more serious, sent his family inside and remained outside to see what would happen.
As the lights closed in to within 800 meters of the shore, they suddenly broke formation and began darting wildly in different directions, crisscrossing the lake in seemingly erratic movements.
What followed was an extraordinary display. The lights zipped back and forth across the lake, sometimes moving slowly, other times accelerating rapidly. They made sharp, abrupt turns, vanished over the horizon, reappeared elsewhere, and flickered on and off in random patterns.
It was impossible to make sense of the chaotic movements. The sheer unpredictability of the spectacle made it all the more terrifying. Eventually, the family had seen enough. They quickly packed up, got into their car, and left the cabin in the middle of the night. As a memento, they had seven slides from their camera, showing glowing dots and streaks of light.
So, what was happening on this remote, isolated lake? Strange lights over bodies of water are not uncommon. But in cases where the lights respond to human presence—especially to direct signals—observers often feel they are being targeted or even harassed. Was this an elaborate prank by extraterrestrial "tricksters" with advanced technology? Or were these unmanned probes, conducting some kind of survey, with humans merely interfering with their operations? Perhaps the lights were simply not meant to be interacted with at all.
Translated from source: Tapani Kuningas - Muukalaisia ja humanoideja
The Birthday Guest of Sysmä
May 1, 1993
On May 1, 1993, a group of about 20 men and women—both younger and older—gathered at a house along Järvenpääntie in Sysmä, Finland, to celebrate the 30th birthday of Mika Tossavainen (a pseudonym). Since the weather was clear, calm, and pleasantly warm at around 20°C, the party was held outdoors. The guests chatted, sang, and enjoyed themselves, as one would expect at a festive gathering.
Around 8 PM, one of the guests walked from a garden swing to the refreshment table and happened to glance up at the sky. Near the top of a nearby spruce tree, they spotted a bright flash.
“Hey! Look at that thing moving between the trees!” the guest called out, unable to immediately come up with a logical explanation for what they were seeing.
The word spread quickly, and soon, the entire group of partygoers gathered to stare at the strange object in the sky.
By the time the other guests had turned their attention to it, the object had moved significantly closer and was now shining brightly in the setting sunlight. It was positioned at about a 40–50 degree angle above the nearby open field, heading in from the southeast.
It was clearly a disc-shaped craft. No wings, propellers, or other conventional aircraft features were visible.
When the guests later described the sighting to a UFO investigator, one of the most puzzling details was the color of the craft—opinions varied widely. Some said it was black, while others described it as brownish, dark gray, metallic, or even chrome-colored with a golden hue. Some witnesses reported seeing a bright light on the side of the craft, while others claimed they could make out panels or windows. A few believed that reflections from the sun made it seem as though the craft was spinning.
The range of differing descriptions could have been caused by the stark contrast between the bright sunlight and the dark object. Another possibility is that the disc was surrounded by an electromagnetic field, which could have distorted its appearance—a phenomenon reported in other UFO encounters.
The guests’ estimates of the object’s size, altitude, and speed also varied. The most common estimate for its diameter was around seven meters, with guesses ranging from four to ten meters. Estimated distances ranged from 150 to 500 meters, while altitude estimates varied between 30 and 200 meters—though the altitude likely changed during the sighting. The object’s speed was compared to that of an airplane, a slow-moving aircraft, or a car, with one witness suggesting it traveled at around 70–100 km/h.
As the saucer passed by, it tilted slightly from side to side with a gentle rocking motion before eventually disappearing over the horizon toward the northwest.
The luckiest guests were able to observe the UFO for about two minutes, while the slower-reacting ones only caught a glimpse lasting ten seconds. Based on later investigations, the most likely duration of the sighting was approximately one minute.
All of the witnesses agreed on one striking fact: the object moved in complete silence.
Despite the undeniable strangeness of what they had just witnessed, no one at the party felt any fear. Perhaps the presence of so many people helped them remain calm. Even the family dog showed no unusual reactions. Furthermore, no strange physical effects were reported.
The group discussed the event among themselves, trying to find a rational explanation. However, they were unable to come up with anything that made sense.
Over the years, people have become increasingly open about their UFO experiences, and the stigma surrounding such reports has decreased significantly. However, the guests at the Sysmä birthday party were not ready to fully embrace the spotlight. After careful deliberation, they decided that none of them would publicly reveal their identities.
Translated from source:
Lasse Ahonen-Tapio Äyräväinen: Uforaportti 1. Suomen ufotutkijat ry. Jyväskylä 1994
Case descriptions based on book from Tapani Kuningas, Teuvo E. Laitinen & Markku Löfman: 100 ufoa Suomessa, Kirjayhtymä, Helsinki 1994
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