From: Graham William Birdsall <106151.1150@compuserve.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 14:52:16 -0400
Fwd Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 00:25:23 -0400
Subject: Pilot Spots UFO/UFO Mag [UK] Building Collpase


>From: Francisco Lopez <d005734c@dc.seflin.org>
>From: gerry <ed@farshore.force9.co.uk>
>From Far Shores | http://www.farshore.force9.co.uk
- - - - - - - - - -

>Source: The Mirror / London
>Date: April 28 1999
>Headline: JET CREW TELL OF CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH UFO

>A passenger jet's crew have reported a close encounter with an
>unidentified flying object.

>They said that they noticed an "incandescent" light below their
>Debonair BAe 146 as it headed over the North Sea from Sweden to
>Humberside.

>Then, they added, a long cylindrical silver-coloured object the
>size of a battleship flew alongside. The British plane's
>shocked captain saw what seemed to be rows of square portholes
>on the UFO before it vanished at "enormous speed".

>The crew told the Defence Ministry about their sighting. An RAF
>radar station tracked the object, which was seen from three
>other planes.

An intriguing story and referenced in greater detail in other
newspapers.

I can confirm that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are in
receipt of the report, but am told it contains no reference
whatsoever to the term 'battleship', which seasoned researchers
will know has cropped up before...

As an aside, we've had lots of calls regarding the collapse of
the gable-end of our office block late Tuesday night, 27 April.

These were prompted after news of the collapse featured on BBC
TV, Yorkshire TV, local radio and newspapers the following day.

A front-page photograph in the Telegraph & Argus newspaper that
Wednesday certainly made it appear that the entire building had
collapsed, but damage was restricted to the rear of the
two-storey block.

Here's what happened. I locked the office at 9.30pm on Tuesday
night and turned right to walk to my car. A few minutes later,
the rear of the building collapsed and tons of brickwork and
stone blocks cascaded down into a yard at the back and spilled
over on to the pavement.

Yes, if anyone had been walking on the pavement at that moment
they wouldn't have stood a chance, and yes, if I'd parked my car
in the car park to the left of the building and locked up a few
minutes later, it would have been curtains (either that or a
very sore head).

The police and fire crews were soon in attendance and staff and
customers at Johnsons public house (directly opposite our
building) were evacuated and the town centre of Ilkley sealed
off.

Thankfully no one was injured and although we can't occupy two
of our office rooms (backed on to the rear of the building)
until repairs are complete (which could take weeks or months) we
are OK to continue working elsewhere in the building.

It could have been a lot worse. Most of the building collapsed
into a rear yard which had several small rooms occupied by
Lloyds Bank staff (they have the ground floor). Their toilets
were there too, as was their main bank of computers, but all
were flattened to a pulp.

Currently, construction workers are making the rear of the
building safe, scaffolding has gone up around it (and up through
the ceiling in what remains of our two rear offices) and there
has obviously been a considerable amount of disruption.

Needless to say, a number of people have rung to ask what caused
the collapse (quite a few were surprised when we answered the
telephone).

All we know for certain is that it was due to a structural fault
in the gable end of the building, which is hundreds of years old
(although modernised inside).

It was not a bomb!

Anyone visiting Ilkley town centre can't help but notice the
damage. The street running between our building and Johnsons
public house was partially re-opened this afternoon (Thursday,
29 April) and cars can now enter and leave Ilkley's main car
park in single-line.

Hope this prevents any form of wild speculation emerging as news
filters out.

We were back at our desks first thing Wednesday morning, and
after dusting ourselves down 12 hours later, everything was back
'on-line'.

Thanks to those who rang expressing concern - much appreciated
by everyone here.

Best regards,

Graham W. Birdsall (Editor)

UFO Magazine [UK]