Near Paintsville, Johnson County, Kentucky, on a coal-train route between Russell and Shelbiana, United States
The Paintsville Train Collision Claim
A story first made widely public by NUFORC director Peter Davenport in 2006 describes an anonymous CSX coal-train crew allegedly striking or passing beneath a hovering object near Paintsville at 02:47 on 14 January 2002. The account includes electrical failures, damage to locomotives/cars and a subs
Why This Case Matters
A spectacular train/UFO collision story whose evidential value is dominated by a single anonymous report released roughly four years after the alleged event.
Chronology
- 14 Jan 2002 alleged coal-train encounter/collision
- no contemporary public record located
- 2006 Peter Davenport/NUFORC-related circulation brings story to public attention
- later paranormal/UFO sites repeat electrical-failure and official-cleanup elements
The Witnesses
Evidence
The following evidence types are documented for this case:
Conventional explanations: Ordinary collision or equipment damage, electrical/mechanical failure, fabricated story or later embellishment remain strong possibilities. The alleged damage should have generated railroad records if substantial, making their absence a major evidential gap.
What Remains Unresolved
- Crew identities
- train number
- CSX incident/maintenance records
- locomotive/car damage photographs
- exact milepost
- dispatch logs
- any medical or police documentation.
Key Takeaways
- Do not describe this as a documented CSX collision with a UFO. At present it is an anonymous 2006-era account of a claimed 2002 event.
Sources
Primary and secondary sources for this case file: