{"type":"events","slug":"1978-kaikoura-lights","title":"Kaikoura Lights","url":"https://disclosdex.com/events/1978-kaikoura-lights","description":"Film crews aboard a freight plane captured mysterious lights off Kaikoura, New Zealand in December 1978","date":"1978-12-31T00:00:00.000Z","tags":["Sighting"],"updated":"2025-06-13T13:26:43.000Z","disclosureRating":6,"status":"resolved","lat":-42.4,"lng":173.7,"connectionCount":2,"content":{"markdown":"## Airborne filming\n\nA television crew joined a routine cargo flight to investigate earlier radar sightings near [Kaikoura](/locations/kaikoura). Multiple bright objects paced the aircraft and were recorded on film and Wellington radar screens.\n\n## Official conclusions\n\nNew Zealand’s Defence Ministry suggested the lights were squid boats and bright Venus. The crew disagreed, insisting the objects maneuvered independently and emitted unusual radar returns. [^1][^2][^3][^4][^5]\n\n[^1]: [New Zealand Defence Force: AIR-1080-6-897 Volume 1, 1978-1981 (UFOScans scan)](https://www.ufoscans.com/raw/New%20Zealand%20UFO/AIR-1080-6-897-Volume-1-1978-1981_text.pdf)\n[^2]: [UFOScans: Investigations of Unidentified and Radar Sightings East Coast South Island, December 1978](https://www.ufoscans.com/air-1080-6-897-volume-1-1978-1981-text/)\n[^3]: [CIA Reading Room: New Zealand UFO document, CIA-RDP81-00261R000500040001-0](https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp81-00261r000500040001-0)\n[^4]: [RNZ: Government officials couldn't explain Kaikoura lights UFO sightings, documents show](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/448174/govt-officials-couldn-t-explain-kaikoura-lights-ufo-sightings-documents-show)\n[^5]: [New Zealand Defence Force: AIR-1080-6-897 Volume 1, 1978-1981 (UFOScans scan)](https://www.ufoscans.com/raw/New%20Zealand%20UFO/AIR-1080-6-897-Volume-1-1978-1981_text.pdf)","readingTime":"1 min read"},"relatedRecords":[{"ref":{"type":"locations","slug":"kaikoura","title":"Kaikoura","url":"https://disclosdex.com/locations/kaikoura"},"direction":"mutual","weight":2}],"citation":{"canonicalUrl":"https://disclosdex.com/events/1978-kaikoura-lights","title":"Kaikoura Lights","publisher":"Disclosdex","retrievedFrom":"https://disclosdex.com/api/v1/events/1978-kaikoura-lights","license":"CC-BY-4.0"},"witnesses":["Film crews aboard a freight plane captured mysterious lights off Kaikoura"],"evidence":["film"]}