In the quiet town of Winfield, Louisiana, an extraordinary UFO encounter took place in 1926 that continues to intrigue those interested in unexplained phenomena. Sixteen-year-old Alma Hughes and her friend Ella Lee Jackson experienced a terrifying pursuit by what appeared to be an intelligently controlled craft while driving through their small town on a moonlit Friday night. What makes this case particularly compelling is not just the pursuit itself, but the apparent hostile intent exhibited by the craft's occupants.

The incident escalated from a simple observation of a strange, moon-like object to a direct confrontation when the craft sprayed a mysterious liquid onto a garage roof and later onto Alma herself. This substance later proved to be dangerously reactive to sunlight, causing both Alma's skin to burn the next day and the complete destruction of the garage roof. Despite reports allegedly filed with local police and Washington officials during President Calvin Coolidge's administration, no formal acknowledgment or investigation of the incident was ever disclosed to the witnesses.

Key Takeaways

Alma Hughes experienced a hostile UFO encounter in 1926 that involved being pursued and sprayed with a mysterious liquid that later reacted dangerously to sunlight.
The craft demonstrated advanced capabilities including hovering and directional flight that exceeded contemporary aviation technology of the 1920s.
Reported to authorities but never officially acknowledged, the Winfield incident represents one of the earliest documented cases of seemingly aggressive extraterrestrial contact.

Alma Hughes' Unique UFO Encounter

In 1926, 16-year-old Alma Hughes experienced a UFO encounter that stands apart from typical sightings. Her encounter, which she documented later in life, suggested an interaction with potentially hostile entities rather than mere observation.

Alma shared her story in 1988 at age 78 while residing at the Colonial Bell Nursing Home in Belleville, Texas. Born in Winfield, Louisiana, and later a Dallas resident, Alma was an accomplished poet who occasionally published under the pen name Alma Victoria Burns.

The incident occurred on a bright, moonlit Friday night when Alma and her friend Ella Lee Jackson decided to go for a drive around Winfield to relieve their boredom. Alma drove the Ford through the small business district and eventually onto Maple Street, where they noticed something unusual about the moon—it appeared to be approaching them.

As they reached a one-and-a-half-story house with a half-circle porch, they realized with horror that no celestial body could move at such speed. Ella screamed as the moon-like object descended toward them. Alma quickly turned the car around and sped away, but the object followed persistently.

Despite Alma's attempts to evade the craft by switching her headlights on and off, the object continued its pursuit. The girls noticed the town was eerily deserted as they raced to Ella's home. After pulling into the driveway, they rushed to the garage's rear door seeking safety.

The craft apparently detected their location and sprayed the garage roof with an unknown substance. The girls struggled to breathe through the fumes and made a desperate dash toward the house. While Ella escaped unscathed, Alma was sprayed on her left side with what she described as an ice-cold liquid that left her trembling.

From inside the house, the terrified girls later heard two beings with gruff voices speaking in an incomprehensible language before the object departed westward. Alma observed that the UFO had maintained a straight east-to-west flight path, seemingly using the moon as a navigational guide.

The following day revealed the truly alarming nature of the encounter. Around noon, while walking in her yard, Alma experienced painful burning on her arms, which had turned fiery red. Shortly after, Ella called to report that her garage roof had spontaneously caught fire and burned completely before firefighters could respond.

Key Observations by Alma:

The liquid became combustible when exposed to direct sunlight
The UFO could hover but seemed limited in directional movement
The craft followed a specific air corridor approximately 90 feet wide

Alma claimed that both families reported the incident to Baton Rouge police and Washington officials during Calvin Coolidge's presidency, though they never received any response. She noted that the craft demonstrated capabilities beyond contemporary 1926 aviation technology, including helicopter-like hovering and the use of an advanced combustible substance unknown to American science at that time.

Early Life and Background

Alma Hughes's Formative Years

Alma Hughes was born in Winfield, Louisiana. By 1988, at age 78, she was residing at Colonial Bell Nursing Home in Belleville, Texas. During her teenage years, she attended high school in Winfield. She demonstrated literary interests from a young age, eventually developing a passion for poetry. Under her pen name Alma Victoria Burns, she achieved publication of her work "RAF" in the Pine Hill Panorama column of the Shreveport Times newspaper.

Move to Texas and Writing Pursuits

In 1968, Alma relocated to Dallas, Texas, where she continued developing her literary skills. Her writing expanded beyond poetry to include detailed personal accounts of her life experiences. Her literary pursuits remained an important part of her identity throughout her life, culminating in her decision to document significant events from her past. While living in Texas, she maintained connections with childhood friends, including Ella Lee Jackson, who had moved to Houston after their shared youth in Louisiana.

The 1926 UFO Incident

Initial Encounter

In 1926, two 16-year-old high school students from Winfield, Louisiana experienced an extraordinary encounter with an unidentified flying object. Alma Hughes and her friend Ella Lee Jackson were out for a casual Friday night drive under a bright full moon when something unusual caught their attention. While driving east on Maple Street, Alma noticed what appeared to be the moon moving toward them at an impossible speed.

As they reached a one-and-a-half story house with a half-circle porch, the girls realized the glowing object couldn't possibly be the moon. Ella screamed as the object descended toward them. Terrified, Alma quickly turned the car around and drove away as fast as possible, with the mysterious craft following close behind.

Pursuit and Evasion Tactics

The girls attempted several evasive maneuvers while being pursued by the craft. Alma turned left at the end of Maple Street and switched off the car lights before turning onto Main Street. She later turned the lights back on when reaching the business district, concerned about driving safely. Unfortunately, the object spotted them again and began gaining on them from the right.

To their dismay, the town appeared completely deserted during this terrifying chase. When Alma realized they would need to drive directly under the object's path to reach Ella's house, she turned off the headlights again, hoping to avoid detection. They pulled into the driveway, but when Alma mistakenly switched the lights back on, the object swooped down toward them.

The girls could hear what sounded like an airplane motor as they abandoned the car and ran toward a door at the rear of the garage. Their attempt to hide failed when the craft positioned itself above the garage and began spraying an unknown substance onto the roof.

Confrontation and Physical Evidence

As the mysterious liquid penetrated the garage, both girls found it increasingly difficult to breathe. They decided to make a desperate dash for the house, running across the small yard toward the screen porch. Ella's mother opened the door, and while Ella made it inside unharmed, Alma wasn't as fortunate. The craft managed to spray the entire left side of her body with an ice-cold liquid just before she entered the house.

Later that night, the girls cautiously opened the door to check if the object remained. They heard what sounded like two angry male voices speaking in an incomprehensible language before the craft sped away westward. The following morning, significant evidence of the encounter emerged:

Alma experienced painful burning on her arms and face when exposed to direct sunlight
Ella's garage roof, which had been sprayed with the same substance, caught fire and burned completely before firefighters could respond
The liquid appeared to become spontaneously combustible when exposed to direct sunlight

Both families reported the incident to local police and officials in Washington, though they never received any response. Alma later noted that the craft demonstrated several capabilities beyond American technology of that era:

Ability to hover like a helicopter
Use of a cold liquid that became combustible in sunlight
Apparent navigational coordination with the moon's position

Aftermath and Effects

Immediate Results

The UFO encounter left both Alma and Ella deeply shaken. After their narrow escape into Ella's house, they remained terrified, listening to what they described as "two men or whatever they were talking" outside. One voice sounded particularly angry, though the words were incomprehensible to the girls. Eventually, the object departed, speeding westward, which gave them a temporary sense of relief.

Theories on Craft Origins

Alma spent considerable time analyzing the incident afterward. She noted the craft's movement pattern seemed to follow a direct east-to-west trajectory, as if using the moon as a navigation guide. The craft appeared limited in its maneuverability, operating primarily within a narrow 90-foot air corridor. This observation led her to compare it to Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis the following year, noting the UFO couldn't fly in all directions like conventional aircraft but could hover in ways that 1927 planes couldn't.

Physical Aftermath of the Incident

The most alarming effects occurred the following day. When Alma went for a walk at noon, her arms and face developed a painful burning sensation with her skin turning "fiery red" in the direct sunlight. Simultaneously, Ella called to report that her garage roof—which had been sprayed by the craft—had caught fire and burned completely before firefighters could respond. This suggested the sprayed substance became combustible when exposed to direct sunlight. Alma believed she narrowly escaped severe injury or death by changing out of the clothing that had been sprayed.

Physical Effects Timing Location Breathing difficulty Immediate During encounter in garage "Ice cold" sensation Immediate Where liquid contacted Alma Skin redness and burning Next day Exposed skin in sunlight Fire Next day Garage roof

Official Reporting

According to Alma, both families reported the incident to authorities. They filed reports with the Baton Rouge police department and even contacted officials in Washington. Despite Calvin Coolidge being president at the time, they received no response or follow-up from any government officials regarding their experience. The official reaction—or lack thereof—left them without answers about what they had encountered that night in 1926.

Technical Factors to Consider

Aerial Vehicle Performance Comparison

Charles Lindbergh's 1927 transatlantic flight to Paris demonstrated the capabilities of aircraft technology at that time. His Spirit of St. Louis had directional control but lacked the ability to hover in place. This stands in stark contrast to the aerial object observed in 1926, which displayed hovering capabilities similar to helicopters—technology not yet perfected in the United States at that time.

The directional limitations of the unidentified craft are noteworthy. It appeared to follow a relatively straight east-to-west trajectory, with limited lateral movement within a corridor estimated to be less than 90 feet wide. This suggests a navigation system potentially using celestial guidance, as it maintained alignment with the moon's position during its flight path.

Thermal-Reactive Substance Examination

The liquid substance dispensed by the aerial object exhibited unusual properties that merit scientific consideration. When initially sprayed, witnesses described it as feeling "ice cold" upon contact with skin and other surfaces. However, the substance later demonstrated highly reactive properties when exposed to direct sunlight.

The following effects were observed:

Immediate effects: Respiratory difficulty when near the substance
Delayed effects: Skin burning and redness when exposed to sunlight
Structural damage: Complete combustion of a garage roof when exposed to sunlight

This behavior suggests a photoreactive compound that remains stable at night but becomes highly combustible under solar radiation. While yellow phosphorus flakes were utilized for military smoke screens during World War I (1918), the witnesses questioned whether American technology in 1926 included cold liquids with such specific solar-triggered combustion properties.

Geographical Significance

The 1926 UFO incident in Winfield, Louisiana occurred at a specific geographical location that may hold importance to understanding similar phenomena. Situated approximately at 32 degrees longitude, this small town became the site of one of the more unusual documented UFO encounters of the early 20th century.

The incident unfolded along a predictable path through the town. Starting on Main Street, moving through the business district, and then onto Maple Street, the craft appeared to follow a deliberate east-west trajectory. This directional limitation is noteworthy when compared to contemporary aircraft capabilities.

The UFO demonstrated several geographic constraints in its movement:

Maintained a straight line from east to west
Appeared to use the moon as a navigational guide
Operated within a narrow air corridor (less than 90 feet wide)
Could hover in place unlike conventional aircraft of that era

The location's isolation may have been intentional. During the encounter, the town appeared completely deserted, with no witnesses present besides the two teenage girls involved. This pattern of UFO sightings occurring in less populated areas continues to be reported in modern accounts.

The geographical coordinates of Winfield could potentially reveal connections to other sightings along the same longitudinal line. Following this incident westward from the 32-degree longitude marker might uncover similar phenomena or establish patterns that extend globally.

Weather and atmospheric conditions that night—particularly the bright full moon—seemingly played a role in the craft's navigation capabilities. The moon's position directly over Maple Street created optimal lighting conditions that the UFO appeared to utilize.

The timing of the incident (night versus day) may have been strategically chosen due to the apparent sun-reactive properties of the substance sprayed by the craft. This suggests the operators possessed knowledge of Earth's day/night cycle and the potentially hazardous effects of direct sunlight on their technology.

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The 1926 Alma Hughes UFO Encounter: Mysterious Burns and Government Cover-Up in Louisiana