1978年10月21日，澳洲墨尔本传出一名飞行员在飞行途中跟着小飞机离奇消失，当时的塔台对话曝光，飞行员不断恐惧地跟塔台人员表示，自己遭到了不明飞行物体追逐，接着飞行员就再也没有音讯，之后传闻四起，有人提出证据怀疑，飞行员看到的很有可能就是飞碟，而他可能就是遭到外星人绑走，至今下落不明。

飞行员佛瑞德

1978年10月21日澳洲飞行员佛瑞德开着租来的小飞机一如往常出发载货，他从墨尔本飞越郊区通过奥特威角，要前往巴斯海峡京岛，当时气候良好视线清晰，但过程中却出现了这段极其诡异的塔台对话，佛瑞德语带惊恐，似乎看见了不寻常的飞行物。

为了纪念飞行员佛瑞德，放在奥特威角光站附近的牌子

塔台人员一头雾水，但这段对话只持续了4分钟，从此佛瑞德和他的飞机人间蒸发消失无踪，搜救行动立刻展开，但毫无所获，由于一切太不合乎常理，有人开始大胆假设，佛瑞德在对话中似乎描述有个不寻常的飞行物不断追逐他，佛瑞德看见的到底是什么？难道是飞碟？专家调出当时的完整塔台对话，发现录音档最后17秒出现了非常奇怪无法解释的金属声，怀疑这就是不明飞行物所发出的声音。

摄影师拍摄夕阳时拍到的照片

而当时有名摄影师拍摄夕阳，刚好是佛瑞德最后回报的地点，相片中出现一团不规则黑色物体，拿去给专家鉴定，确认是无法辨识的“不明的固体”，飞碟迷因此更相信，这就是佛瑞德当时遭遇的不明飞行物体，认为他恐怕被外星人绑架，究竟离奇失踪的飞行员和飞机和UFO有没有关联，至今仍留下谜团。

费瑞德当时与塔台的对话原文：

19:06:14 DSJ [Valentich]: Melbourne, this is Delta Sierra Juliet. Is there any known traffic below five thousand?

FS [Flight Services; Robey]: Delta Sierra Juliet, no known traffic.

DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet, I am, seems to be a large aircraft below five thousand.

19:06:44 FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, What type of aircraft is it?

DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet, I cannot affirm, it is four bright, and it seems to me like landing lights.

FS: Delta Sierra Juliet.

19:07:31 DSJ: Melbourne, this is Delta Sierra Juliet, the aircraft has just passed over me at least a thousand feet above.

FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, roger, and it is a large aircraft, confirmed?

DSJ: Er-unknown, due to the speed it’s travelling, is there any air force aircraft in the vicinity?

FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, no known aircraft in the vicinity.

19:08:18 DSJ: Melbourne, it’s approaching now from due east towards me.

FS: Delta Sierra Juliet.

19:08:41 DSJ: (open microphone for two seconds.)

19:08:48 DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet, it seems to me that he’s playing some sort of game, he’s flying over me two, three times at speeds I could not identify.

FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, roger, what is your actual level?

DSJ: My level is four and a half thousand, four five zero zero.

FS: Delta Sierra Juliet and you confirm you cannot identify the aircraft?

DSJ: Affirmative.

FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, roger, stand by.

19:09:27 DSJ: Melbourne, Delta Sierra Juliet, it’s not an aircraft it is (open microphone for two seconds).

19:09:42 FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, can you describe the – er – aircraft?

DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet, as it’s flying past it’s a long shape (open microphone for three seconds) cannot identify more than it has such speed (open microphone for three seconds). It’s before me right now Melbourne.

19:10 FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, roger and how large would the – er – object be?

19:10:19 DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet, Melbourne, it seems like it’s chasing me. What I’m doing right now is orbiting and the thing is just orbiting on top of me also. It’s got a green light [emphasis mine] and sort of metallic like, it’s all shiny on the outside.

FS: Delta Sierra Juliet

19:10:46 DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet (open microphone for three seconds) It’s just vanished.

FS: Delta Sierra Juliet.

19:11:00 DSJ: Melbourne, would you know what kind of aircraft I’ve got? Is it a military aircraft?

FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, Confirm the – er – aircraft just vanished.

DSJ: Say again.

FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, is the aircraft still with you?

DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet; it’s (open microphone for two seconds) now approaching from the south-west.

FS: Delta Sierra Juliet

19:11:50 DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet, the engine is rough-idling. I’ve got it set at twenty three twenty-four and the thing is (coughing).

FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, roger, what are your intentions?

DSJ: My intentions are – ah – to go to King Island – ah – Melbourne. That strange aircraft is hovering on top of me again (open microphone for two seconds). It is hovering and (open microphone for one second) it’s not an aircraft.

FS: Delta Sierra Juliet.

19:12:28 DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet. Melbourne (open microphone for seventeen seconds).