My Ghost Encounters

I was living on a piece of farmland in rural Miami County, Ohio, with my then wife and two children during the fall of 1996. November 16th, Friday evening, I had just opened the garage door and was warming the car up, getting ready to take my seven year old son to school for a "Weekend Lock Down". The Lock Down was an event held once a year for the children. The school kept children all weekend and provided them with activities for learning and socializing.

The garage door up, car running, and I stood in the driveway enjoying the chilly evening air with a cigarette I was sneaking. The sun had set less than hour before and it was already very dark. Then came what I now refer to as "The Sound". I heard what I thought was a motorcycle, street racing type, speeding down Emmerick Road, the old country road that was less than a quarter of a mile away and crossed the one I lived on. I remember thinking that rider was a fool, it was a chilly November evening, just past six o'clock, that would be one cold and dangerous run on that road, which was full of nasty surprises such as sudden dips, gravel, and mindless creatures.

Thud! I instantly understood I was wrong about that being a motorcycle. The sound was a small plane as the engine throttled up, and the thud was the sound of the plane hitting the ground very hard. I crouched low to look across the harvested field that laid between my house and the farmhouse on the corner. Using the farmer's security lamp as back lighting, I was able to see a large mound in the field, about 200 yards from my house and 20 yards from the road I lived on.

My daughter came running out of the house as I stood up, I told her to get in the house and call 911 to inform them there was a plane crash. I then ran to the mound. On my way into the field, the first traffic I had seen for quite a few minutes traveled down my road. In the light cast from the truck's headlights, I could see all kinds of debris strewn across the road. I didn't break stride until I got the mound.

Rich airplane fuel and part of a tail section. Those were my first clues that I had been correct. I had only the moon to light my way until the driver of the truck joined me a few moments later. But, in that span of time I was treated to such horrific sights I wish never again to see. It was enough for me to step away and throw up.

To illustrate how gruesome the scene was, I'll mention that the first clue to the number of people that were on board the plane was known only an hour after rescue teams began setting up. Two left arms were found.

The Official Account
Two businessmen from Lima Ohio had been at the Brookville airport making repairs on their six seat Cessna aircraft. While attempting to fly back home to the Allen County airport, the pilot issued a "May Day" and was diverting the craft's route to Dayton International Airport.

The craft struck the ground, just past 6:00 p.m., at an angle of 50 degrees and full throttle.

I didn't sleep well for weeks. Visions of what I saw that night flooded my dreams and wouldn't let me rest. I was haunted.

On a clear and crisp mid-December morning, I was just in the garage getting ready to get in my truck and head to work. Just as I reached for the door handle, I was overcome with a sudden chill and the feeling I was not alone in the garage. I was paralyzed by the unknown.

Two voices began to speak to me, "It's okay. We are fine. Thank you."

Overriding the feeling of fear and curiosity was the lifting of a great weight. I had indeed been worried about the two souls who died so close and so violently. That concern was the real reason those gory visions flooded my sleep, and now I could rest easier.

But, could I recount the tale without facing ridicule? I didn't think I could, so I kept it to myself for some years. I know I wasn't crazy or experiencing the encounter due to sleep deprivation. The event was clear as the morning sky.

I had my first run in with ghosts and I became a believer.

Recently
At the time of this writing, August 13, 2009, I have seen two separate ghosts, on several occasions, in the house I live in now.

The first sighting was early 2008 as I sat in my office late at night, pounding on my keyboard. In my peripheral vision I saw a slight man, who looked to be in his late fifties, standing inside the back door of my house. The man, who was sporting a close cut hair style and horned rimmed glasses, was just staring into the kitchen. Of course I got chills, especially as I turned my gaze towards him and he faded from view.

I have seen him three times since, the most recent being about two weeks ago as I lay in bed. He was standing next to the bed and began to fade as I looked in his direction.

The other ghost is a young girl in a yellow dress who has appeared to me on two occasions. Once, as I sat watching television I saw her on the edge of my vision as she sat in an easy chair. As with the man, she faded as I looked her way. The same with the time I saw her run and then stop to watch me.

What does all this mean? I really don't know. But, what I do know is that these sightings are real and I am sane (unless I'm in denial).

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