UPDATE: Oct 2020 – It’s fair to say the traffic to this link has substantially increased in recent time. I want to tell you it is a product of its time, a simple barebones outline with no real meat. Hav squared up a few details. I will leave it’s outline content as it were and direct you a present and ongoing project, with the goal of producing a documentary “The Thunderbolt Incident” and a investigative blog series by the same name.
http://kristianlander.com/?p=2562 – Documentary pre-production: The Nottingham 1987 Thunderbolt incident.
An introduction. Outlining the vision of the project, how I came to be involved.
http://kristianlander.com/?p=2591 Date and time of The Thunderbolt Incident An in-depth ongoing investigation into verifying the Date and Time.
With more developments as we continue building up sources to create a comprehensive resource on the topic and question above.
Returning to the original post created in 2011,
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The alleged crash took place on the date of November 12th 1987, whilst most people were asleep in bed. The silence of the night was shattered in the early hours after a thunderbolt tore across the skies from Blidworth direction towards Kirkby in Ashfield. Freak weather was blamed at the time, but since the event multiple witnesses have come forward. Certainly something highly sensitive and inexplicable happened that night. Windows of 13 houses were blown out, chimney stacks fell from roofs, severe damage to buildings due to an airborne collision were reported. Lights in the Sky, followed by a military response of multiple helicopters including a heavy duty Chinook. Allegedly the craft was brought down around Thieves wood, and came to rest at Annesley Hollow.
First hand report of military activity in the area of the A60 known as Thieves wood, closing off of roads, implementation of armed guards, systematic questioning of locals. People were stopped in their cars, by a road block near Annesley and told they could go no further as a helicopter had come down in the local woods. Other witnesses had snippets of information an object of intense light was trying to avoid built up areas and was veering south towards the Hucknall airfield. Did something come down? Was something shot down?
A regular National Express coach driver of the A60 route from Nottingham towards Mansfield at the time recalls the time very well. When roads in the area were secured by police and military personnel.
Dominic Belgin who presented at the East Midlands UFO Research Association public talk and discussion regarding the alleged Crash in 1997, held in Basford. Mr Belgin quoted an Ashfield district councillor “God only knows how no one was killed, it was like the blitz” during his talk. Witnesses at the time said the ball of light didn’t travel in a straight line witnesses claim to have seen in dive down and up again distinctly over the hills and lay of the land. A news article clipping from 1997, is held on file of the presentation.
Thieves wood has a number of tales of its own. 
Reports of ghosts, apparitions, strange sensations well this as you can imagine can only add to the list going on there and adding to the local lore.
Source
Information lifted by cuttings from Hucknall Dispatch held at Hucknall Library/Local studies library.
Conversation with A.Smith.
The Paranormal Network. Official (mirrored) Blog 
Hi… It was nothing to do with Thieves Wood, and quite a distance from there… Not sure where you got that info from. It was Annesley Hall woods and the houses effected were on Forest Road. I actually remember the sound of the explosion and lived close to where it happened.
This bloke has obviosly NOT spoken to anyone who actually investigated this event. I understand that the Mansfield UFO Group did the original investigation which was run by Walter Blyth (probably deceaced now) and Les trueman.
Hi, do you know of any good places to research this incident? It’s always intrigued me, but seems hard to find any investigation on it
It was never one of our cases but the best place to look for any investigator that might have been involved would be from the old Mansfield UFO Group. I might still be able to get in touch with Les Trueman of Mansfield and then you could take it from there.
Hi
Thank you for the information you have shared so far but please could you be more specific about what part of ‘Forest road in KIrkby in Ashfeld’ this was, as it’s a very long road. Was this the only road effected? Are you sure Thieves wood is definatly not connected to this event at all? If not, would you be able to clarify where the craft was when it apparently ‘bounced’ before crashing at Annesley hall. Was the area of the bounce in Annesley forest or some where else close by. I am getting alot of conflicting information about this event and would really like to try and document a uptodate version of the Event as accuratly as possible.
Just to correct you, Dominic Beglin WAS NOT a member of EMUFORA. He was an independent visitor to our group for just one occasion and gave a lecture at one of our quartely meetings about this event – that’s all. We never endorsed his claim and his opinion is not that of EMUFORA (1990 – 1998) Anthony James. Founder of the East Midland UFO Research Association.
I lived in between 1984 till 1990 snienton dale Nottingham and have been looking for a evening post report of a very very large ufo that flew over parts of Nottingham it showed a map and a route it took it even gave you a number to phone if you saw it..I rang it…I seen it..and saw something else I never told them…strange thing is I can’t remember what year it was I am sure it was 86…strange..I watched it get darker through my lounge Window quicker than it normal did the previous night ..I just knew something wasn’t right went out side stood in the middle of my street..alone…and watched it go over..no lights no noise just pure pure dark…yet I knew it was there…then I saw it a massive owl shape figure sitting on the old massive tv aerials…and you know how big they are when there in your garden…so something that size would have made the aerial bend I thought,, ..it didn’t…it wasn’t a owl. I calmly went inside and went to bed…Don’t know why I did that..strange woke up jaded..and couple of days later there was a article in the evening post..the lady was quit flippant and disconcerting about it…it did …I can’t find anything any where about it..strange.
Hi guys, my name is Daryl Spence of the Mansfield UFO Sighting and i was an active M.U.F.O.G. member during this time and remember the investigation of this event. If memory serves me right an independent investigator named Melvin ? botched an interview with a key witness who was still shaken with the events. Also there was an hint that the witness had been warned not to talk and due to Melvin’s insensitivity during an interview put the witness right off and to this day, (if not deceased) that witness has refused to come forward.
The report went something like this, on that evening a bright white object was seen to be dipping and swerving as it flew over Kirkby in Ahfield. As it flew over Forest Road it suddenly lost altitude and came down in the vicinity of Annesley Hall. It hit the ground hard, bounced up in the air and came down again in the woods west of Annesly Hall. Witnesses said that when the object first came down, there was an almighty boom that rattled the windows, followed by a rush of warm air that made mini tornados, throwing grass, leaves and litter up into the air.
Shortly after authorities rushed to the scene and closed the roads off to and from that area, but this key witness mentioned that the military was involved and had approached witnesses on Forest Road. It was mentioned that army and airforce personnel were present. After the botched interview we was unable to get further information.
I think if you call the Chad advertiser they should have the report in their archive.
By the way folks if you want to see footage of the Mansfield UFO and my subsequent appearence on Schofields Quest this is the link to follow
It happened on the night of August 23 1994 at 23:45 and it involves a failed helicopter intercept, which we later found out through a military insider a few years later that it was an alleged black ops mission.
Also if anyone is in touch with Les Trueman ask him to get into via my email the_ham_man2002@yahoo.co.uk
Any questions folks, then feel free to ask.
Daryl Spence.
Great reply. Thank you very much for entering the conversation. One unfortunatelt I had not seen until this very moment. Will be in touch
To track back on this, I had reached out to the Chad, 3 times separately Initially via the newsdesk, before an approach to the editor and senior team.
When I attended the Hucknall library in regards to using their microfilm for back copies / news stories of the incident at the time, and to verify time and date, comments. All microfilms are presently no longer accessible in any of the Nottingshire libraries so back issues of the Chad via original print is also unavailable.
Pingback: Documentary pre-production: The Nottingham 1987 Thunderbolt incident – What lead me to this point. – Kristian Lander
There seems to be many inaccuracies and different accounts to this incident. So I will give you my personal account to this event. I knew the father of a member of the military drafted into the area on the night of the so-called 1987 thunderbolt incident. He confirmed the was “no thunderbolt”. I asked him if it was a UFO? He answered with a grin saying he could not confirm or deny that!!! What he did confirm is that the military were at 2 different locations in the Mansfield and Ashfield area to “clear the sites of a contaminated substance”. Read into that information what you will. But he did say it WAS Thieves Wood and Annesley Warren. This conversation took place many years ago and I cannot remember the guys name but I have never forgotten the conversation we had. I do remember the military being in the area for 3-4 days after this incident, but in terms of a “thunderbolt” the military would not be required!!!
Thank you for your contribution Max.
There’s a series of Investigative blogs available.
Including interviews, comments from residents, including from the council repair team who repaired the chimney at Abbey Road the following morning. Fire crew members who attended, fire service, Forestry commission. I’m a licensed UAV pilot so have also been able to high quality 4K video and photography on the sites in their current condition. The Thieves Wood site has quite an example of the damage the remains to today.
The Thunderbolt Incident: Comprehensive timeline of events
The Thunderbolt Incident Update Inc Forestry Commission response.
The Thunderbolt Incident The Date and Time
ASSAP (Association of Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena) asked if I would present a webinar on the topic. There was chaired by UFOlogy veteran Robert Moore.
There’s plenty to sink your teeth into now