Pilots

(AL=Airline pilot; M=Military; P=Private)

Code Date Location Witnesses Description
M 8-10-44 Sumatra Capt. A.M. Reida, USAF bomber pilot Spherical object with halo paced B-29 during mission; maneuvered sharply, climbed away vertically.
M 12-44 Austria Maj. W.D. Leet, USAF bomber pilot Amber disc followed B-17 across Austria. [Section III]
M 8-1-46 nr Tampa, Fla. Capt. Jack Puckett USAF 4-engine pilot Cigar with "portholes" approached C-47 head-on, veered across path. [Section III]
P 6-24-47 Mt. Ranier, Wash. Kenneth Arnold, businessman, pilot Nine flat shiny objects in line, zigzagged.
AL 7-4-47 nr Portland,Oregon Capt. E.J. Smith, United Airlines; Ralph Stevens, Co-pilot Two groups of discs.
M 7-6-47 Fairfield-Suisan AFB, Calif. Pilot (name deleted by Air Force) UFO sped across sky "oscillating on lateral axis."
M 7-8-47 nr Los Angeles, Calif. F-51 pilot (name deleted by Air Force) Flat, light-reflecting UFO passed above fighter.
P 7-9-47 nr Boise, Idaho Dave Johnson, pilot & aviation editor; others on ground Large disc, maneuvered erratically. [Section VII]
M 8-47 Media, Pa. W. Boyce, USAF fighter pilot Hovering disc.
M 1-7-48 Ft. Knox, Ky. Capt. Thomas Mantell, Air National Guard (A.N.G.); many on ground Pilot killed in crash of F-51 while chasing "huge …metallic" circular object.
P 7-48 Pasco, Wash. Don Newman, 6-year USAF veteran of WW II and Korean War Disc diving and climbing.
AL 7-23-48 nr Montgomery,Ala. Capt. C.S. Chiles, F/O J.B. Whitted, Eastern Airlines Cigar with lights like portholes approached head-on, accelerated, climbed away.
M 10-1-48 Fargo, N.D. Lt. George F. Gorman, A.N.G.; 3 others "Dogfight" with disc; UFO out sped F-51.
P 1-1-49 Jackson, Miss. Tom Rush Cigar crossed path of plane, accelerated rapidly.
M 7-3-49 Longview, Wash. Cmdr. M.B. Taylor, USN; many others at air show Round UFO wobbling on axis, sharp maneuvers.
M 11-3-49 nr Baja, Calif. Capt. William H. Donnelly, USAFR Four discs which cavorted in an "astounding manner.
AL 3-8-50 Dayton, Ohio TWA Captains W.H.Kerr, D.W. Miller, M.H. Rabeneck; plus USAF pilots Round UFO tracked on radar, observed from ground and air, climbed away from clouds.
P 3-18-50 nr Bradford, Ill. Robert Fisher and family Oval UFO, self-illuminated, sped past plane at estimated 600 to 1,000 mph.
AL 3-20-50 nr Little Rock, Ark. Capt. Jack Adams, F/O G.W. Anderson, Jr. Disc with apparent "portholes" flew above airliner in arc.
P 3-26-50 nr Washington, D.C. B.A. Totten, former USAF aircraft inspector Disc flew below plane; when pilot dove at it, UFO"zoomed up into overcast."
AL 4-27-50 nr Goshen, Ind. Capt. Robert Adickes, Capt. Robert F. Manning, TWA; passengers Disc paced plane, sped away when pursued.
AL 5-29-50 nr Washington, D.C. Capt. Willis T. Sperry, F/O Bill Gates, American Airlines Elliptical object circled plane, raced away.
AL 6-24-50 California desert F/O David Stewart, United Airlines Cigar-shaped object paced plane for 20 miles.
M 6-24-50 nr Daggett, Calif. Navy transport pilot Cigar-shaped object above desert.
M 7-11-50 nr Osceola, Ark. Lt(jg) J.W. Martin; Enlisted Pilot R.E. Moore, USN Domed circular UFO passed in front of two Navy planes [confirmed by radar].
AL 10-5-50 nr San Fernado, Calif, Capt. Cecil Hardin, F/O Jack Conroy, California Central Airlines UFO with body lights came head-on at plane, dipped down and passed below; "It appeared to be a wing," Captain Hardin said, "It had no fuselage. "Bands of blue light were visible across its width.
P 11-27-50 Evansville, Wisc. Bill Blair, commercial pilot & flight instructor Six elliptical objects in loose echelon formation, made sound similar to helicopters. Appeared to be at about 10,000 feet, traveling about 500 mph.
AL 12-27-50 nr Bradford, Ill. Capt. Art Shutts, TWA Light source, making erratic and violent maneuvers.
AL 1-20-51 Sioux City, Iowa Capt. Lawrence Vinther, F/O James F. Bachmeier, Mid-Continent Airlines; plus control tower operators Cigar with bright body light approached, reversed direction, climbed away.
AL 2-19-51 Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa Capt. Jack Bicknell, Radio Officer D.W. Merrifield, East Africa Airways; plus 9 passengers Cigar-shaped object with vertical bands hovered for long period, ascended vertically at high speed.
AL 5-22-51 nr Dodge City, Kans. Capt. W.R. Hunt, American Airlines Blue-white star-like object gyrated around air-liner, "moved backward and forward, then up down" and finally dove below plane and sped away.
P 8-11-51 Portland, Ore. R.O. Dodge, former USAF P-47 pilot Three disc-like UFOs in formation.
M 1-21-52 Mitchel AFB, N.Y. Navy TBM pilot Chased dome-shaped UFO.
M 3-29-52 Misawa, Japan Lt. D.C. Brigham, USAF Small disc observed maneuvering around F-84.
M 6-52 Tombstone, Ariz. Lt. Cmdr. John C. Williams, USN (Ret.);others Disc hovered in plain sight, sped away.
AL 7-5-52 Richlands, Wash. Capts. John Baldwin, George Robertson, plus two co-pilots, Conner Airlines "perfectly round disc" observed hovering above Hanford atomic plant.
AL 7-13-52 nr Washington, D.C. Capt. W. Bruen, National Airlines Light source approached plane, hovered, fled when pilot turned on lights.
AL 7-14-52 Newport News, Va. Capt. William B. Nash F/O William Fortenberry, PAA Six discs flew below airliner, executed sharp turn in formation, sped away joined by two more discs.
AL 7-18-52 Denver, Colo. Capt. Paul Carpenter, American Airlines Three observations of speeding lights in period of 2 minutes, maximum of 3 UFOs seen at one time; objects appeared to reverse direction.
AL 7-20-52 Washington, D.C. Capt. Casey Pierman, F/O Charles Wheaton Lights moving rapidly, up, down, and horizontally, also hovered; coincided with radar targets.
M 7-23-52 South Bend, Ind. Capt. Harold W. Kloth, USAF From ground saw two blue-white light sources; one veered sharply.
M 7-26-52 Washington, D.C. Lt. William Patterson, USAF Glowing objects surrounded his interceptor, confirmed on radar.
M 8-1-52 Dayton, Ohio Maj. James B. Smith,Lt. Don Hemer, USAF F-86 pilots Saw and photographed round hovering object, tracked on radar; UFO sped away.
M 8-13-52 Tucson, Ariz. Capt. Stanley W. Thompson, USAFR Nine UFOs in three V's.
AL 8-13-52 Dallas, Texas Capt. Max M. Jacoby, Chief Pilot; Capt. J.W. McNaulty, Pioneer Airlines Chased unidentified light, which turned and dove.
M Summer 52 MacDill AFB, Fla. USAF Colonel, B-29 pilot Investigated radar target, saw elliptical UFO.
AL 10-29-52 nr Richmond, Va. Capt. Francisco Rivas, Venezuelan Bright, luminous object with apparent exhaust, traveled from 45º above plane, over horizon in 8 minutes.
M 10-29-52 Hempstead, L.I., N.Y. Two USAF F-94 pilots Chased object which maneuvered at high speed.
AL Fall, 1952 New York to Puerto Rico Capts. Charles Zammett, Robert Harris, William Hutchins PAA Large green sphere which hovered, then sped away.
M 12-8-52 Chicago, Ill. Ernie Thorpe, Co- pilot H.S. Plowe String of lights, 5 or 6 white, one rapidly blinking red, flew alongside plane.
P 1-27-53 nr. Livermore, Calif. J.B. Bean Shiny circular object, climbed steeply at "terrific rate."
M 2-9-53 nr Washington, D.C. Lt. Ed Balocco, USMC Alerted by ground sightings, searched, saw luminous UFO with red glow, climbing rapidly.
M 4-53 Laredo, Texas Lt. E.Wilford, USAF jet instructor Cigar-shaped UFO leaving contrail of constant length, made right angle turn.
P 5-21-53 Prescott, Ariz. Bill Beers; two others Eight disc-like objects maneuvered overhead for about an hour. Beers, a veteran pilot, said the UFOs "swooped around in formation, peeled-off, and shot directly up and down in a manner that could not be duplicated by a plane."
M 8-12-53 Rapid City, S.D. Two USAF jet pilots; ground observers Multiple radar and visual sightings.
M 9-7-53 Vandalia, Ohio Navy fighter pilots Brilliant light maneuvered around plane.
AL 10-18-53 English Channel Capt. Peter Fletcher; F/O R.L. Lemon UFO "like two shallow saucers with their rims together."
AL 12-17-53 Sweden Capt. Ulf Christiernsson "Unorthodox, metallic …circular" UFO.
AL 1-1-54 Victoria, Australia Capt D. Barker Large "metallic" elliptical UFO, speed estimated over 7 m.p.h.
M 1954 Dayton, Ohio Lt.Col. Rchard Headrick, USAFR, Senior Pilot Two UFOs which hovered, flew in formation, evaded pursuing jets.
M 3-24-54 Florida Capt. Don Holland, USMC Chased round UFO, which sped away.
M 5-14-54 nr Dallas, Texas Maj. Charles Scarborough, USMC Sixteen UFOs, in groups, evaded pursuit by Marine jets.
AL 6-1-54 nr Boston, Mass. Capt Charles Kratovil, TWA White disc paced airliner.
M 6-23-54 Ohio Lt. Harry L. Roe, Jr. F-51 paced by unidentified light.
AL 6-30-54 nr Goose Bay, Labrador Capt. James Howard; crew, British Overseas Airways Corporation Large dark UFO with several satellite objects, paced airliner; disappeared as jet interceptor neared to check.
M 10-4-54 Essex, England Flt. Lt. J.R. Salandin Royal Air Force Disc (Saturn-shaped) approached head-on, veered to one side.
M 10-24-54 Porto Alegre, Brazil Brazilian Air Force pilots Formation of silvery circular UFOs over base.
AL 11-21-54 nr Rio de Janero, Brazil Captain; crew; passengers About 19 discs rushed by close to airliner, causing panic among passengers.
M 12-54 Nowra Air Base, Australia Royal Australian Navy Pilot Aircraft paced by two UFOs, ground radar confirmed sighting.
M 1955 Virginia, nr. Washington, D.C. Cmdr., Navy pilot Disc with dome on top paced aircraft.
AL 1-2-55 nr Punta San Juan, Venezuela Captain & crew, National Airlines Orange light source approached plane, beam of light shone in cockpit.
AL 2-2-55 nr Merida, Venezuela Capt. Dario Celis, Aeropost Airlines Top-like UFO with central ring and "portholes" paced airliner.
AL 2-11-55 Miami to New York City Capt. J. King, PAA Two reddish-green UFOs shot by close to airliner.
P 11-14-55 San Bernardino Mts., Calif. Gene Miller Globe of light, blinked in apparent pattern.
AL & M 12-11-55 nr Jacksonville, Fla. Navy jet pilots, airline pilots, others Jets in dogfight with round, reddish UFO, confirmed on radar.
M 1956 North Atlantic Cmdr. Senior Pilot, other flight crews as passengers Large disc climbed up to R7V-2, paced it, moved away.
AL 2-17-56 Paris, France Air France pilot Investigated radar target, saw odd maneuvering light.
AL 4-8-56 Schenectady, N.Y. Capt. Raymond Ryan, F/O William Neff, American Airlines Bright light source hovered, sped through 90º arc.
AL 9-6-56 Pasadena, Calif. Western Airlines pilot Reported UFO to Air Defense Command; erratically moving white light source confirmed visually from ground by 1st Lt. Mark Matlock, USAF.
AL 11-14-56 nr Mobile, Ala. Capt. W.J. Hull, F/O Peter MacIntosh, Capital Airlines Bright light source descended, gyrated near airliner, climbed away.
M 12-56 Far East USAF jet pilot Radar-visual sighting of disc, radar jammed by interference.
AL 1-24-57 Indiana Commercial pilot; others on ground Four UFOs, in-line formation, last one larger and egg-shaped.
P 3-8-57 nr Houston, Texas Victor Hancock and Guy Miller UFO with three brilliant white lights sped past DC-3, kept just ahead of plane, speeding up each time plane closed in.
AL 3-9-57 nr San Juan, Puerto Rico Capt. Matthew Van Winkle, F/O D.W. Taylor, PAA, other airliners in area Round greenish-white object came toward airliner; outer ring appeared to reflect light from center; pilot took violent evasive action.
AL 3-29-57 Off east coast of Florida Capt. Kenneth G. Brosdal, F/O George Jacobson, PAA Observed brilliant pulsating light, confirmed by radar. Visual sighting lasted 4 to 5 minutes.
AL 6-30-57 Belo Horizonte, Brazil Capt. Saul Martins, passengers Disc-like object paced airliner, maneuvered around it.
AL 7-4-57 nr Campos, Brazil Cdr. Delgado, REAL Airlines Disc with dome and "portholes" paced airliner, shot away.
AL 8-14-57 nr Joinville, Brazil Cdr. Jorge Campos Araujo, Varig Airlines Disc with dome, alternately hovered and moved at high speed; aircraft engines affected.
P 8-15-57 Woodland Hills, Calif. Eugene Allison, Chief Aviation Pilot, USN (Ret.) Disc hovered, rocked back and forth, shot straight up out of sight.
AL 10-8-57 nr Boston, Mass. Capt. Joseph L. Flynn, PAA Brilliant planet-like object (in daylight) moving at high speed on steady course.
AL 11-4-57 Ararangua, Brazil Capt. Jean Vincent de Beyssac, Varig Airlines Red light source approached below plane, made erratic jump; electrical equipment on aircraft burnt out.
AL 11-6-57 Nebraska Capt. Irving Kravitz, TWA Bright light source in high speed flight.
AL 11-9-57 Lafayette, La. Capt. Truman Gile, Eastern Airlines Flaring bright light source, visible several minutes.
AL 12-12-57 Chatham-Windsor area, Canada Capt. J.A. Miller, Trans-Canada Airlines; police officers, others on ground Oval disc, changed course.
P 5-5-58 San Carlos, Uruguay Carlos Alejo Rodriguez Brillian UFO approached plane, hovered (pilot felt intense heat); when pilot tried to pursue object, it sped away.
AL 5-27-58 Bahia State coast, Brazil Cdr. Bittar, Varig Airlines Luminous circular object maneuvered, hovered, below airliner.
AL 2-4-59 Off New Orleans, La. Capt. H. Dunker, PAA Reddish light source sped back and forth across path of DC-6B, shot straight up.
AL 2-24-59 Pennsylvania Capt. Peter Killan, F/O John Dee, American Airlines; other airliners, ground observers Three glowing UFOs paced airliner.
AL 7-11-59 Pacific Ocean Capt. George Wilson, PAA; several other aircraft Formation of bright lights sped toward plane, veered away.
M 7-14-59 Pampulha, Minas Gerais, Brazil Brazilian Air Force pilot Luminous object paced B-26, hovered near airport, reacted to flares.
M 10-7-59 nr Forrest City, Ark. Lt. E.L. Barksdale, Kentucky Air National Guard Glowing UFO passed plane, pilot turned to chase it, object sped away.
M 1960 Cincinnati, Ohio Kentucky Air National Guard pilot Pilot pursued UFO which pulled away each time plane closed to within about 10 miles.
P 3-4-60 Dubuque, Iowa Charles Morris, flight instructor Three elliptical UFOs, in-line formation.
AL 7-2-60 nr Maiquetia, Venezuela Captain & crew Venezuelan Airlines Bright light source, paralleled plane for 20 minutes, shot away.
P 8-16-60 Oak Forest, Ill. Harry J. Deerweater, former USAF pilot Disc-like UFO hovered, bobbed around in various directions.
P 1-10-61 Benjamin, Texas W.K. Rutledge, Passenger George Thomas Glowing red UFO changed course, descended, appeared to land.
P 7-4/5-61 Akron, Ohio Ernest Stadvec, owner of flying service, former USAF bomber pilot; others Light source dove toward plane, climbed away; similar experience next night, confirmed by radar.
AL 7-24-61 Ilha Grande, Brazil Cdr Jose G. Saez and crew, VASP Airlines Light source approached plane, bobbed around making angular turns.
AL 9-21-61 Pacific Ocean nr Wake Island Capt. R.F. Griffin, BOAC; also PAA crew; ship at sea Ring-like UFO, passed above plane and over horizon at high speed.
P 10-2-61 Salt Lake City, Utah Waldo J. Harris, several others Disc hovered, wobbled, moved away when pursued.
M 1-29-62 Eastern Holland Royal Dutch Air Force pilot in F-86 UFO sighted, confirmed by radar, fled when pursued.
AL 5-21-62 England Capt. Gordon Pendleton, Irish International Airlines Globular UFO with antenna-like projections, streaked below his Viscount.
M 5-22-62 Argentina Several Navy pilots Series of sightings by flight of aircraft.
AL 8-2-62 Liberal, Kans. Capt. Jack Metzker, Central Airlines; airport observers Brilliant light source, hovered, streaked west; airport alerted, also saw UFOs.
AL 12-22-62 Buenos Aires, Argentina Pilots of Papagra and Aerolineas Argentina airlines; control tower operators Bright circular UFO observed near end of EzeizaAirport runway, took off rapidly.
P 2-5-63 nr Washington, D.C. Carl Chambers, passenger Pulsating yellow-white light source, maneuvered around plane.
M 3-11-63 Hawaii Air National Guard jet pilots Rocket-like UFO sped over high above jets, which were at 40,000 feet.
Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License