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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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was informed that no aircraft was in his vicinity at that time. The foregoing incidents related by the two United Air Lines pilots substantiated the more detailed account reported by Captain Peter Killian, a pilot for American Airlines. Captain Killian is a native of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He is married, has three children and is active in youth groups in Syossett, Long Island, New York. He serves as a Scoutmaster, a explorer adviser, and as an instructor for rifle and archery clubs. ## CAPTAIN KILLIAN'S REPORT "I was on a flight from Newark, New Jersey to Detroit, Michigan, non-stop, and the flight was carrying me through Phillipsburg, Bradford, and Erie. Pennsylvania and directly across Lake Erie on to Detroit. My flight was at 8500 feet, and I was flying by visual flight rules above an overcast. The overcast was roughly 5,000 feet and above the clouds, ceiling and visibility were both unlimited. Though there were broken clouds below us at 5,000 feet all the sky above that layer was absolutely clear. We had a visibility of about 100 miles. (Editor's note: U.S. Department of Commerce Weather Bureau reading at Phillipsburg stated that three-tenths of the sky was covered with scattered clouds 5,000 feet above the ground at 8:30 P.M., February 24, 1959). Roughly about 8:45, while I was having my dinner, like all pilots do once in awhile, I noticed out of my left window to the south. three yellowish lights in a single horizontal line at 9:00 o'clock position. I almost choked on my steak when I saw them, but I just watched awhile without saying anything. These three lights maintained this relative position for 35 to 40 minutes. Their color was from a yellow to a light orange and these three lights were in a horizontal position. "At first I thought it was the Belt of Orion but then I took a second look and saw both the belt and the foreign objects. I dismissed the theory of their being the belt of the Constellation Orion. Orion was considerably higher; also, the objects were brighter and of a different color. The objects were by no means close to the plane, but one would move in at intervals, fall back again, and change its place in the formation while keeping abreast of the ship, which was traveling at 280-300 mph. Their position was maintained. However, the third object, which was the last one in the line, occasionally dropped back somewhat, gaining altitude. But generally speaking, they maintained the same position. "Occasionally they speeded up quite a bit and pulled ahead to approximately 11:30 o'clock to my position, and then they would slow down again and drop back to right off my wingtip. As I say, this went on for 35 to 40 minutes. It shook me up slightly when I first noticed them, but after looking at them for awhile I sort of got used to the idea." But, anyhow, the very big thing that struck me noticeably was the brilliance or luminosity of their color. It would go from a very light dim to a very bright color, and then it would go back to dim again. During this period, occasionally, the light would be extinguished completely, and I would see only two of them and maybe it would come back again and there would be three; then two lights would go out, and there would be only one. Occasionally all three would go out. "It was impossible to tell the distance because I didn't know their size nor their altitude, although they appeared to be like the apparent size of the moon. They were definitely higher than I was. At first, I estimated that the objects were not over a mile from us This was just an impression; I believe now that they were not that close. It would be the same thing if a person would have a light in the middle of a dark field at night. It would be impossible for you to know, just looking at the light, if this light were 100 feet or 1,000 feet away from you, for if you don't know the size, you don't get the idea of distance. "In all my period of flying, I have never in my life seen anything even remotely resembling this in fifteen years with the airlines and also about thirteen years other than ha.
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