Colusa, California — FAA Radar Track, Police and Civilian Witnesses

On May 3, 1978, law enforcement officers from the Colusa County Sheriff's office and local police departments in California's Sacramento Valley observed a large luminous object hovering and maneuvering over the county for approximately 40 minutes. Officers described a bright orb-like object that appeared to respond to ground vehicle movements — descending when police cars approached and rising when they stopped. FAA radar at the Sacramento TRACON facility tracked an anomalous return in the same area. Approximately 50 civilian witnesses reported seeing the object. The object eventually accelerated at high speed to the west and disappeared. FAA radar records were preserved and reviewed. NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena) investigators documented the case. The FAA's official classification for the contact was 'Unknown' — the return could not be attributed to any known aircraft. Multiple law enforcement agencies filed incident reports with consistent descriptions. The Colusa County case is referenced in the NICAP case catalog alongside USAF Blue Book unknowns as a significant combined law enforcement-radar UAP case.