# The Cash-Landrum Incident: The UFO Case That Took the U.S. Government to Court

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/unexplained-history-7119426/the-cash-landrum-incident-the-ufo-case-that-took-the-u-s-government-to-court
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/unexplained-history-7119426/the-cash-landrum-incident-the-ufo-case-that-took-the-u-s-government-to-court.md
Podcast: [Unexplained History](https://stenobird.com/podcast/unexplained-history-7119426)
Published: 2026-04-28T12:00:04+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-cash-landrum-incident-the-ufo-case-that-took-the-u-s-government-to-court--71677042
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/71677042/s2e46_final.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/unexplained-history-7119426/episodes/the-cash-landrum-incident-the-ufo-case-that-took-the-u-s-government-to-court
Duration seconds: 3368

## Resource

On December 29, 1980, Betty Cash, Vickie Landrum, and seven-year-old Colby Landrum were driving through the pine woods of East Texas when they claimed to see something impossible: a massive diamond-shaped craft hovering above the road, blasting flames from its base, and surrounded by military helicopters. Within hours, all three witnesses began suffering strange physical symptoms. Betty Cash developed severe burns, hair loss, and illness so intense she spent weeks in hospitals. The U.S. government denied any involvement, but the witnesses were convinced they had been exposed to a secret military operation gone wrong. Their fight led to a $20 million lawsuit against the federal government — and one of the most controversial UFO cases in American history. But decades later, the Cash-Landrum case looks even stranger. Was this a government cover-up, a Cold War experiment, a misunderstood aircraft, or a terrifying example of how fear, memory, and belief can turn one night on a dark road into American folklore? In this episode of Unexplained History, we investigate the Cash-Landrum UFO incident, the alleged Chinook helicopter escort, the radiation sickness claims, the failed federal lawsuit, and the evidence that still divides believers and skeptics today. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unexplained-history--6429156/support . 🎧 Unexplained History explores the myths, mysteries, and misunderstood moments that shaped our world. Hosted by Tom Mackenzie and Don Masterson. New episodes every week. Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen — and uncover the stories history tried to forget. More at The Unexplained Company History, Mystery, True Crime, Conspiracy, Paranormal, CIA, Cold War, Ancient Aliens, Archaeology, Unsolved…

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