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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.
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## NESTM R7C At approximately 1320 Sgt Cook from the C0's office notified the observer (T/Sgt Quinton A Blackwell) that according to Ft Knox Military Police & "B" Town State Police, a large circular object about 250 to 300 ft in diameter was over Mansville, Ky. Advised him to check with Army Flight Svc. They advised negative but shortly thereafter reported object over Irvington, Ky, then Owensboro, Ky. Object first sighted by Blackwell about 1345 to 1350 over south Godman Fld. ## Verification: 1st Lt Crner (Detachment Commander) Capt Carter (Operations Officer) Col Hix (CO) sighted it about 1420 At approximately 11430 to 11440, four P-51's approached Godman f/south enroute f/Marietta, Ga. to Standiford Fld, Ky. Blackwell asked Flight Leader NG 869 to attempt to identify object. Accompanied by two other planes he proceeded south f/Godman. Fourth plane proceeded to Standiford Fld alone. About 1445, flight leader (NG 869) reported sighting object "ahead and above - still climbing" At 15,000 ft he reported "Object directly ahead and above and moving about half my speed." Again "it appears metallic of tremendous size." Still later "I'm still climbing - object is above and ahead moving about my speed or faster - I'm trying to close in for better look". This was about 1515. Five minutes later the other two ships turned back. NG 800 reported "it appeared like the reflection of sunlight on an airplane canopy" Shortly afterward this same pilot (NG 800) resumed search going to 33,000 ft, 100 miles south but did not sight anything.
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