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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.
“Nevers”20 pages
whether ATC would have had knowledge of high altitude operations performed by SAC. Their reply, "All SAC flights are coordinated with the Federal Aviation Agency which you refer to as Airway Traffic Control." The American and United Air Line pilots, upon seeing the unknown objects, acted in accordance with standard procedure. They contacted ATC, inquiring if there were any refueling operations and/or if there were any planes in the area. To the knowledge of ATC there were none. First Officer John Dee of American Airlines also checked with ATC upon landing in Detroit, and he, too, received a negative reply. Their inquiries mainly were for the purpose of establishing identity of the foreign objects. It is significant, we believe, that the U.S. Air Force's Air Technical Intelligence Center, which is responsible for investigating UFOs, apparently did not even bother to check with ATC, and that prior to releasing their numerous explanations they did not interview Captain Killian in order to receive the details first hand. Nor did they question the other pilots, crew members, the passengers or the ground observers. Assuming there were night refueling operations being performed secretly, what damage could result from legitimate inquiries such as those voiced by the pilots? ATC could easily have replied that a secret mission was being conducted by the Air Force. Such an explanation would have dispelled all doubt in the pilots' minds regarding the peculiar objects they had observed. By ignoring the fact that ATC is the police force of the air lanes, Air Intelligence has openly placed Air Traffic Control in a compromising position. ---
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