UK's Most Documented Triangular UFO Sighting: Colin Saunders' 1999 Close Encounter in Warwickshire
In the late hours of a quiet evening in 1999, an ordinary family celebration took a remarkable turn when Colin Saunders and his family encountered something extraordinary on their drive home. What began as a simple birthday meal at a village pub in Warwickshire, England, suddenly became a life-altering experience that would change Saunders' worldview forever. The unexpected sighting occurred along the darkened Foss Way, where brilliant red and white lights attracted their attention.
The encounter with what turned out to be a triangular craft hovering just 100 feet away provided Saunders with a detailed view rarely documented in UFO sightings. The technical design draftsman, who won an AutoCAD User of the Year award in 1992, applied his professional observational skills to record remarkable details of the craft's appearance and movements. This close encounter eventually led Saunders to author "Triangular UFOs of the United Kingdom," documenting his experience and similar sightings across the country.
Key Takeaways
A family's routine birthday celebration in 1999 became an extraordinary encounter with an unidentified triangular craft on a dark country road.
The close proximity of the encounter allowed for unusually detailed observations of both the craft's underside and its rarely-seen top surface.
The witness's professional background in technical design provided a uniquely qualified perspective on the craft's unusual appearance and movements.
UFO Sighting Detail
The Initial Context
The incident took place on March 24, 1999, during a family celebration. Colin Saunders, his wife, daughter (aged 12), mother-in-law, and neighbor were driving home after celebrating the mother-in-law's 72nd birthday at the White Lion pub in Paleton, Warwickshire. They were traveling in two separate vehicles along country lanes in complete darkness around 9:50 PM. Colin's family drove ahead while their neighbors followed in a Range Rover.
Spotting the Unusual Object
As they turned onto the Foss Way, an ancient Roman road with no streetlights, they noticed unusual flashing lights approximately half a mile ahead. The lights were extraordinarily bright—more intense than anything Colin had seen at firework displays or air shows. They appeared too low for an aircraft and had too many lights for conventional aircraft or helicopters. Intrigued, they drove toward the lights and stopped about 100 feet away from them.
The Light Configuration
The object displayed four large red lights arranged at an unusual 30-degree angle to the ground rather than parallel to it. Below these primary lights, Colin observed a fifth smaller red light that appeared different from the others—it seemed to burn like a Roman candle with a misty halo around it. The red lights featured a distinctive grid pattern on their surface, resembling:
Not artificial plastic covers with crosshatching
Similar to interference patterns (like Newton's rings)
Highly detailed with crisscross light effects
Extraordinarily bright with precision edges
Craft Materialization and Movement
While observing these lights, Colin noticed the sky beginning to ripple around them. Suddenly, the entire craft materialized—similar to a spacecraft decloaking in science fiction. The previously invisible structure connecting the lights became a solid metallic object. The witnesses were facing the rear of the craft, and observed:
White clouds appearing around both wing tips
The nose of the craft rising while the rear maintained its position
Movement described as "submarine-like"—fluid and computer-controlled
The craft rising like a horse rearing up
Surface Characteristics
As the triangular craft tilted upward, Colin and his family could observe its top surface—a rare viewing angle for triangle UFO sightings. The surface appeared organic and alive, covered with what looked like liquid flowing across it. This liquid effect resembled moonlight reflecting off rippling water at night, with light catching the edges of the ripples. The rear lights pulsed rapidly in a digital fashion, not dimming gradually but switching on and off at high speed. The overall appearance suggested something beyond conventional aircraft technology.
