West Pittsburg (now Bay Point), Contra Costa County, California, United States
The West Pittsburg 'Eastbay' Landing
Three 14-year-old boys reported seeing a landed saucer and small humanoid occupants near West Pittsburg on 20 May 1977. A sheriff's deputy interviewed them separately that night and found them frightened and consistent. Richard Haines later investigated for CUFOS; despite finding the testimony inter
Why This Case Matters
A comparatively well-documented youth CE-III case because police were involved immediately and the witnesses were questioned separately before later UFO publicity.
Chronology
- 20 May evening three boys report landed object/entities
- parent contacts Contra Costa County Sheriff
- Deputy Douglas Pendleton interviews boys separately
- case referred to investigators
- Richard Haines visits/interviews/site-checks
- no physical trace found and Haines concludes evidence does not warrant further investigation
The Witnesses
Evidence
The following evidence types are documented for this case:
Conventional explanations: Prank/fabrication, misidentified people/objects, imagination or social reinforcement remain possible. Absence of physical trace weakened the landing claim.
What Remains Unresolved
- Original sheriff report
- complete individual witness statements
- exact site
- whether any unrelated adult witnesses saw aerial lights.
Key Takeaways
- The case is stronger as testimony than as physical evidence. Haines took the witnesses seriously but did not find enough objective evidence to pursue it further.
Sources
Primary and secondary sources for this case file: