The Knowles Family on the Nullarbor Plain
The account
A giant light chased a family across the desert, landed on their car and lifted it off the ground.
What investigators found
Researchers suggested ball lightning, electrical phenomena and the effects of fatigue and fear on an isolated road.
The story
In the early hours of January 20, 1988, Faye Knowles and three of her sons were driving across the Nullarbor Plain in southern Australia when an intense light appeared on the road. According to the family, the object chased them, landed on the roof, lifted the vehicle and dropped it hard, blowing out a tire. They also described a dark dust inside the car and voices that sounded distorted.
The family went to the police in the town of Ceduna, and the case made national news, with marks on the car's roof and dust samples analyzed. The results showed nothing out of the ordinary. Suggested explanations include ball lightning, electrical discharges in the atmosphere and the natural exaggeration that comes from a fright on a deserted road at night. The episode still has no definitive conclusion.