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This Project Blue Book case file covers the 7 January 1948 incident at Godman Field, Fort Knox, Kentucky, which the file itself calls the famous "Mantell case." It holds control tower witness statements describing a large, bright object and the three P-51s sent to pursue it, whose flight leader, Mantell, stopped answering after climbing past 15,000 feet. It also includes weather data and Air Materiel Command correspondence. One analysis concludes that the object was not Venus and that the sighting must be considered unexplained.
Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.
315TH AF BASE UNIT (RSS TNG) OFFICE OF THE AIR INSPECTOR GODMAN FIELD, FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY A/GFH/hmg 373. 2 9 January 1948 SUBJECT: Report of Observation of Unidentified Object in Skies Above Godman Field TO: Commanding General Eleventh Air Force 1612 South Cameron Street Harrisburg, Pennsylvania ATTENTION: Lt. Col. Chandler PIO Section 1. The inclosed certifications are of personnel from Godman Field who witnessed the object in the southwestern sky From Godman Field on 8 January 1948, with additional informa tion concerning the loss of a F-51, (NG869). 2. Standiford Tower, Standiford Field, Louisville, Ky., reported that two aircraft of an unspecified type were taking off from Standiford at approximately 1500 hrs. and would be directed to proceed to Godman to assist in determining a definite status of the reported object. These aircraft did not appear. Another flight composed of four P-51's flew directly over Godman Tower at approximately 1500 hrs., at which time they were asked their identification. Upon being informed that they were National Guard aircraft from Standiford Field, and upon their replying in the affirmative that sufficient gas was available, they were asked if they would deviate from their course to assist in determining the nature of the object. Their ET1 for the flight to Standiford was changed at that time. 3. The object, as it appeared to the undersigned, was circular in shape and, if it was a great distance away, was 1/10th the size of a full moon. If it was an earthly object, the size, as compared to the diminishing size of the 7-51's flying toward it, seemed to be at least several hundred feet in diameter. DOWNGRADED AT 3 YEAR INTERVALS; DECLASSIFIED AFTER 12 YEARS. DOD DIR 5200.10 6 Inc1 E. GARRISON WOOD Lt. Colonel, USAF 1. statement Air Inspector Pfc. Stanley Oliver 2. Statement T. Sgt. Q.A. Blackwell
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