Sighting
Chiles-Whitted Encounter
Two Eastern Air Lines pilots, Clarence Chiles and John Whitted, reported a cigar-shaped object with rows of lit windows passing their DC-3 near Montgomery.
- Date
- 24 July 1948
- Location
- Near Montgomery, Alabama · United States
- Witnesses
- Pilot
- Evidence
- Official documents
What was reported
The crew described a fast-moving object that flew past their aircraft and pulled up into cloud. The report contributed to the Project Sign 'Estimate of the Situation', which reportedly argued for an interplanetary explanation before being rejected by Air Force leadership.
Official and public statements
Astronomer J. Allen Hynek, consulting for the Air Force, and astronomer Donald Menzel each stated that the pilots most likely saw a bright meteor (bolide).
References
Source: Wikipedia