The Knowles family Nullarbor encounter

A family said a glowing object lifted their car on the Nullarbor Plain in January 1988. Sources differ on whether the date was 20 or 21 January.

Wikipedia gives 21 January 1988 as the day a family reported a UFO while driving across the Nullarbor Plain. They described a big glowing ball, like an egg in an egg cup. Other sources date the event itself to about 4:20 am on 20 January, and give 21 January as the day it was reported. Skeptoid says accounts of the time run anywhere from 2:45 to 5:30 am.

Faye Knowles travelled with her three adult sons and two dogs in a small Ford Telstar. Her son Sean, 21, was driving. They were on the Eyre Highway close to the Mundrabilla Roadhouse when a light appeared above the road in front of them. They first read it as a truck coming towards them. It grew brighter and bigger, and they swerved to avoid it.

The family claimed the object lifted their car and dropped it, and that a tyre blew out. They also reported a layer of black ash over the car and dents in the roof. They sped away and were very distressed when first interviewed.

The author of a Skeptic article concluded the light was a mirage of a distant vehicle's lights, and said inspections of the car found nothing unusual.