Érpatak, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, Hungary
The Érpatak UFO Photograph
Lajos Kosina photographed his girlfriend in a garden at Érpatak on 27 October 1996; nobody present noticed an object at the time, but a dark flattened disc appeared in the developed frame. The Hungarian UFO Network reportedly examined the original negative and said it found no film fault, suspension
Why This Case Matters
A classic 'unseen-at-the-time' photograph with a named photographer and claimed original-negative examination, but whose evidential value is sharply limited by a single frame and missing modern chain of custody.
Chronology
- 27 Oct 1996 garden portrait taken
- film developed weeks later and anomaly noticed
- photograph retained privately for months
- Hungarian UFO Network/HUFON investigates original negative
- Laszlo Kiss/Philip Mantle account circulates internationally
- later reproductions mostly use enhanced crop
The Witnesses
Evidence
The following evidence types are documented for this case:
Conventional explanations: Bird/insect, thrown object, suspended model, processing/lens artifact or deliberate staging remain possible. HUFON reportedly rejected several of these, but the underlying measurements and negative are not publicly auditable.
What Remains Unresolved
- Original negative
- camera/lens/film details
- complete HUFON analysis
- full uncropped frame and adjacent exposures
- independent modern forensic review
- media rights.
Key Takeaways
- The witnesses did not see a craft. Treat this as a photographic anomaly and keep HUFON's 'authentic' conclusion attributed to the investigators rather than as established fact.
Sources
Primary and secondary sources for this case file: