This question struck me when I came across the Chicago O'Hare UFO sighting of 2006 and it occurred to me that this individuals who saw the UFO were mostly trained experts in identifying aircraft who had quite a bit to lose by coming forward with the story. Not exactly physical evidence that would satisfy a hardcore sceptic, but not something to be dismissed out of hand either.

So here's my question: What are some other examples of ufo sightings, contact, or abductions where the contactee was a trusted/reputable person with a lot to lose? (pilots, senators, high ranking military officials, etc). Are there any good examples where someone who was previously a hardcore sceptic was forced to reconsider their position through a personal experience? What about people who saw something they couldn't explain but refused to recant their story and lost their jobs, family, friends, etc?

Please stick to verifiable recorded events that are generally considered authentic by genuine experts (i.e. newspaper articles, verified government documents, video, photos, etc). No UFO-researchers, cryptozoologists, or anything remotely connected to this guy

tl;dr: What are the very best 'examples' of extraterrestrial activity. Bonus points if the person(s) who saw/recorded were reputable, trustworthy, had a lot to lose, or were previously hardcore skeptics and reversed opinion from the experience.