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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.
Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.
Location Pennsylvania
Date 24 Feb 1959 Hour (2) 2045
wX Visibility unlimited at $ \delta 5 0 0^{*} $ - on top of broken clouds
Description Three lights varying in color from yellow to orange, also changing in intensity from dim to brilliant. Lights apparently moving east to west
Direction of Motion E to W
Satellite: (AFCIN-4F3, Phone 69219) Checked - objects much too slow and uniform.
Astronomical Phenomena (Meteor, Comet, Planet, etc) Objects too slow for meteors - description doesn't fit - motion rules out planet
Radar Analysis (AFCIN-4E1) N/A
Natural Phenomena (Ball Lightning, etc) Size of object rules out "ball lightning".
Aircraft, Balloons, Airships, etc. Possibly aircraft
Other ___
Evaluation of Source Reliability Probably very good.
Analysis and Conclusions: Information from Pittsburgh is that a B-47 refueling operation was in progress at the time of the sighting. This operation took place in the area of the sighting. The Air Force bomber and tanker aircraft were flying from east to west. Witness indicates in his statement that he is not familiar with the light pattern used during refueling operation. The objects of this sighting were probably due to misinterpretation of the lights on aircraft during a refueling operation.
Friend. Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 83 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.