selected ufo cases
Cases with Images or Photographs
The Chiles-Whitted Case
July, 24, 1948 - Montgomery, Alabama, United States
Another one of the famous airline sightings of earlier years is the Chiles-Whitted Eastern Airlines case. An Eastern DC-3, en route from Houston to Atlanta, was flying at an altitude of about 5,000 ft.. near Montgomery. ...The object was some kind of vehicle. They saw no wings or empennage, but both were struck by a pair of rows of windows or some apparent openings from which there came a bright glow "like burning magnesium." View full report
Source: Dr. James E. McDonald, U.S. House Hearings, 1968 ID: 116
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Pilot/Aircrew, Witness Sketch, Portholes/Windows
'Tomato Man' Photographs of Alien Body and the Laredo, Texas Crash
July, 7, 1948 - 38 Miles South of Laredo (Texas), Mexico
In 1978, a former Naval photographer released a series of photographs of the charred remains of a head and torso, which he claimed were extraterrestrial. He said that the photos were taken in 1948, when he was flown to Mexico, south of Laredo, Texas, to document the crash of 90-foot diameter "flying saucer" and its dead pilot. View full report
Source: Ron Schaffner, of the former Ohio UFO Investigators League (OUFOIL) ID: 378
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Alien Photograph, Humanoid/Occupant, Military, Crash/Retrieval
The Thomas Mantell Incident (aircraft crashes after chasing UFO)
January, 7, 1948 - Godman Air Force Base, Kentucky, United States
Many stories have been written about the untimely death of Captain Thomas Mantell whose USAF P-51 Mustang aircraft crashed on the 7th. January 1948, shortly after having observed a UFO seen hovering in the air close to the US Army Air Force Base at Godman Field, Kentucky. The official Army Air Force verdict is that Mantell’s aircraft crashed after he blacked out owing to lack of oxygen while attempting to fly too high an altitude in what was later described as a high altitude weather balloon. View full report
Source: Tony Dodd, excerpt from 'Flight to destruction: The strange death of pilot Thomas Mantell' ID: 482
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Military, Pilot/Aircrew, Injury, Witness Photo
Aztec, New Mexico UFO Crash Recovery of 1948
1948 - Aztec, New Mexico, United States
It was the columnist Frank Scully who first alerted the world to sensational stories of recovered flying saucers and little men in his best-selling book Behind the Flying Saucers published in 1950. Scully claimed that up to that time there had been four such recoveries, one of which was alleged to have taken place around Aztec, New Mexico, when sixteen humanoid bodies were recovered together with their undamaged craft. View full report
Source: (Credit: aztecufo.com) ID: 879
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Crash/Retrieval, Humanoid/Occupant
The Villa Santina Case (two humanoids encountered by Italian artist)
August, 14, 1947 - Villa Santina, Italy
Italian artist R. L. Johannis was out painting when he noticed a 30 ft. disc-shaped object landing nearby. Next, Signor Johannis saw two child-sized beings standing alongside the object. The artist hailed the creatures. It is possible that this was interpreted as a hostile gesture, for one of the beings touched the centre of its belt and projected a thin vapour which caused the artist to fall dazed onto his back. The creatures approached, picked up the artist's easel, then returned to the craft. The object then rose, hovered, and disappeared. View full report
Source: Charles Bowen (ed.), The Humanoids, Flying Saucer Review Special Issue (1966) ID: 751
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Humanoid/Occupant, Landing, Witness Sketch
Disc Zooms Down Snake River Canyon, Idaho
August, 13, 1947 - Snake River Canyon, Idaho, United States
A farmer and his two sons, were at his fishing camp on August 13, 1947. He noticed an object some 300 feet away, 75 feet above the ground. It was edge hopping, following the contour of the ground, was sky blue, about 20 feet in diameter and 10 feet thick, and had pods on the side from which flames were shooting out. It made a swishing sound. View full report
Source: Twin Falls Times News, (Twin Falls, Idaho) August 15th, 1947 ID: 415
Case Type: PressReport
United Airlines Flight 105 pilots witness formation of disc-shaped objects
July, 4, 1947 - Emmet, Idaho, United States
On the evening of July 4th at Boise, Idaho, Captain Smith was walking up the ramp to board his plane, flight 105, for a trip to Seattle when someone mentioned the massive wave of saucers taking place all day over the northwest. Captain Smith joked: "I'll believe in those discs when I see them." Shortly after takeoff five disc-like objects, one larger than the rest, approached Captain Smith's DC-3 head on. View full report
Source: James McDonald, Statement to US Congressional Hearings/UFO Symposium, 1968 ID: 723
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Interaction/Reaction, Pilot/Aircrew, Witness Photo, Multiple UFOs
Roswell UFO Incident (Crash and Recovery)
July, 3, 1947 - Roswell, New Mexico, United States
In early July 1947 an incident occurred in the desert just outside of Roswell, NM. Many people have heard of the Roswell UFO crash, but very few people know the details of the incident. The following account of the 1947 UFO incident was taken from public records, from information provided by the International UFO Museum and from the press release for UFO Encounter 1997. View full report
Source: Roswell Online ID: 1134
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Crash/Retrieval, Humanoid/Occupant, Military, Witness Sketch, Witness Photo
