In the summer of 1991, on August 16, Maxim Churbakov, a cadet of the Yeisk Military Aviation School, took off on his third solo flight. The engine of his airplane functioned for just fourteen minutes, and then it stalled. Churbakov reported to the flight control: “Forty-second, engine shutdown, altitude 1400, r.p.m. down to 20 percent.” On the ground, they were unable to find a solution to the problem at once, and the cadet had to make a decision himself. Fifty-seconds after the engine shutdown, he reported: “I am preparing to eject and am turning away from the town.” At the moment of ejection, the plane was over a body of water. Soon a fishing boat picked up Maxim. Meanwhile, on the shore, his plane was in flames. In this case, no UFO was involved. In the newspaper of the military district there soon appeared a snapshot of Maxim with his flying instructor, and the correspondent quoted the words of the area commander Air Force Major General V. Mihailov: “You know, when I first heard about this accident in the air training regiment, I was upset. It’s a pity to lose an expensive machine. But when I established all the circumstances of the incident, when I had spoken to the cadet, and listened to the tape of the radio traffic, I was even glad. I felt much better about it. What fine people we have!” After this rejoicing over the cadet’s composure and presence of mind, the general gave instructions that a copy of that tape should be used as a training aid…so that other future pilots should learn from it how to behave in emergencies. The newspaper appeared on August 27, but Maxim was a short-lived hero…for only one day. To be more exact, until August 28, when at 5:31 p.m., during another training flight, at an altitude of 4000 meters, he saw an orange sphere. The object was similarly above the clouds, somewhat on his starboard side, and Maxim immediately reported it to the flight control. Meanwhile, the sphere had begun approaching him, increasing to two meters in diameter. From Maxim Churbakov’s Report: I had the feeling that someone was watching me, and there was an unpleasant sensation on the back of my head on the right side. I began lifting my head, but was unable to look–for some reason I experienced a feeling of fear. The “generator” indicator on the emergency panel went on. I began reporting a generator failure, but just then the “fire” warning system went on. I saw a trail of smoke in the wake of the plane. The burning sensation in my eyes increased, and smoke appeared in the cockpit. I began extinguishing the fire, and reported everything to the flight control. I was ordered to eject. I declined to do so, because I saw a large populated centre in front. The “fire” warning light continued to blink. I went into a glide toward the fields. My eyes hurt badly, and because of tears in them, I could not see well. Much of the radio traffic was incomprehensible. Someone was intervening in the radio exchange, and sometimes there was nothing but a screeching sound in the earphones. The plane was difficult to control, and its speed fluctuated plus-minus 100 kilometres. At an altitude of 1000 meters I ejected and came down in a field of maize. On the ground, the cadet was regarded with unconcealed suspicion. To wreck two military planes in a row was no laughing matter. A week later, the area commander came to the hospital where the recent hero was being examined. To start with, the commander debunked his recent act of heroism, saying that the engine of his plane had been shut down by the cadet himself and had not stalled. The general admitted that he had been hasty in commending the future pilot. Actually, General Mihailov said some more things. From Maxim Churbakov’s Report: He said they had found an aluminium wire, which I had supposedly wound around the autopilot switch. And while doing so, I had let go of the control stick. The commander said that all this had been proved and there was no point in my denying it. If I did not confess, the documents would be sent to the prosecutor’s office. Such “cordial” discussions were conducted with him more than once. In the end, criminal proceedings were instituted against him. It was soon after that his mother, in tears, and her visibly upset son arrived at the Russian UFO Center (SOYUZUFOTSENTR at the time), begging its researchers to find an explanation of the mysterious sphere. Maxim was accused of deliberately destroying expensive machinery. He was to be made a scapegoat. The military authorities informed the mother that Maxim, a young man, can spend the next ten years in prison, and still be only 29 at the end of his sentence. Zinaida Ivanovna, Maxim’s mother, did not want her son to spend even a day in prison. Maxim was already expelled from the Yeisk Military Aviation School (visscheye voyennoye aviatzionnoye uchilische, a prestigious institution), and sent to serve in the army.