Betty and Barney Hill were an upstanding couple in New England. Betty was a social worker and Barney was a postal employee with an active membership with the NAACP. They were on their way home from a vacation in Canada September 19, 1961, when they encountered a UFO. They first thought the object was a star, but it seemed to be following their car. Barney got out of the car and saw bright lights approaching the car. He panicked and got back into the car to speed away from the UFO. They returned home to Portsmith, New Hampshire with no memories of the occurrence but they did notice that the drive took two hours longer than it should have.

In the following 10 days, Betty continuously had dreams of her and Barney being taken aboard a UFO and medically examined by the aliens. The Hills filed a sighting report with NICAP (National Investigations Committee of Aerial Phenomena) and then they seeked psychiatric help for the emotional trauma from Dr. Benjamin Simon. Dr. Simon placed the Hill's under hypnosis during a series of visits. During these sessions, the memories of the Hill's "missing two hours" were restored. Betty and Barney both began to consciously remember the happenings of the events that took place on that night. The Hill's claim to have been abducted by the occupants of the UFO and taken aboard. They claim the aliens performed severe medical tests on them before they were released.