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This NICAP compilation by Dan Wilson gathers Project Blue Book records on the sighting of 24 February 1959, when American Airlines Flight 139, flying from Newark to Detroit, and two United Airlines crews saw three lights over Pennsylvania and Ohio. It includes the record card, pilot statements, Air Force letters and correspondence with an Akron UFO committee. The Air Force concluded that the lights came from three B-47s refueling from KC-97 tankers. Book excerpts disputing Captain Killian's later claims are also included.
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This is to acknowledge your letter of 6 March 1959 concerning the American Airlines pilot's sighting of 24 February near Bradford, Pennsylvania. In addition, two United Airlines pilots saw unidentified flying objects in the same general geographical area. The geographical area concerned is bordered on the north along the New York-Pennsylvania border (near Bradford, Pennsylvania and Olean, New York) on the route of American Airlines Flight No. 139 departing Newark, New Jersey, at 7:10 p.m. and arriving Detroit, Michigan, at 10:52 p.m. On the south, this geographical area is bordered by the Pittsburg, Pennsylvania-Akron-Youngstown, Ohio, locale over-flown by the United Airlines flights reporting this sighting. The American Airlines pilot said "sometimes the interval of the three lights were identical to the Belt in the constellation Orion." This was initially mentioned as a possible solution by the Air Force with the qualifying statement that the report as submitted had not yet been analyzed and that the findings of ATIC would be based upon a complete analysis and evaluation of the written report to be submitted. The pilot's report also suggested the possibility that he had witnessed a night aerial refueling operation. Upon analysis and evaluation, this sighting turned out to be B-47 type aircraft accomplishing night refueling from KC-97 tankers. The American Airlines pilot's report of the sighting confirmed this and Air Force records show that three B-47 type aircraft were in the geographical area mentioned above on a night refueling operation. The tanker has several groups of lights which at a distance would appear to be one or more lights. The time duration of a refueling operation varies, can last well over an hour, depending on the type of operation. The KC-97 refueling a B-47 will fly at an altitude of approximately 17,000 feet at around 230 knots true air speed (ground speed 210 knots). This would account for the
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