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Project Blue Book documents on the Killian case, compiled by Dan Wilson

NICAP · 83 pages · text by OCR

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.

  • p. 3 …that Captain states in his report that he has never witnessed a night refueling operation . Yet
  • p. 12 MEMO ROUTING SLIP NEVER USE FOR APPROVALS, DISAPPROVALS, OR RECURRENCE, OR SIMILAR ACTIONS 1. NAME OR…
  • p. 20 …could be a jet tanker refueling operation. Never having witnessed refueling operation at night, I am…
  • p. 33 …could be a jet tanker refueling operation. Never having witnessed refueling operations at night, I am…
  • p. 36 …Airlines, quoting Captain saying that he had never seen jet refuelling operations at night and that…
  • p. 39 …planes for 15 years, said, "I have never seen anything like it before." Killian said other…
  • p. 40 …said never seen anything before." man said other members crew and the 35 passengers saw the…
  • p. 45 …all my period of flying, I have never in my life seen anything even remotely resembling…
  • p. 46 …I thought - well, there must be something to it, but what, I was never sure. These…
  • p. 47 …is in New York, but I have never experienced an thing like that before. It might…
  • p. 52 …since 1929 and who states he has never seen anything like this before, is not likely…
  • p. 58 …the situation by ATIC later declassified but never released, stating that the flying saucers were interplanetary…
  • p. 59 …of Intelligence investigations of UFOs: "It will never be possible to say with certainty that any…
  • p. 62 …could be a jet tanker refueling operation. Never having witnessed refueling operation at night. I am…
  • p. 66 …This man had been a civilian pilot for five and he said that he had never…
  • p. 69 …is in New York but I have never experienced anything like that before." WHEN Killian first…
  • p. 72 …He told the Detroit Times, "I never attached any importance to the fact that they may…
  • p. 73 …encounter "awe inspiring" and said he had never seen anything like that in the air before…
  • p. 80 …at night. (Original statement to American Airlines: "Never having witnessed refueling operations at night, I am…
  • p. 82 …could be a jet-tanker refueling operation. Never having witnessed refueling operations at night, I am…
Has American Airlines been intimidated also? Have they been forced to be an accom plice to this canny censorship? Apparently so, for they have lowered the boom on Killian. Is this considered an infringement on his "personal freedom"? Is this possible in a democ

In April, Representative S.N. Friedel (Dem. Md.) after a conference in Washington with NICAP Director Major Donald Keyhoe USMC Ret., and Advisor Lou Corbin, promised a thorough investigation. He would request an Air Force explanation of Captain Killian's treatment. Doesn't it seem strange, after the world wide publicity this incident received, that it should terminate by Air Force pressure?

Why after 12 years, hasn't the Airlines Pilots Association stepped forward demanding a "cease and desist" of the ridicule campaign? Every pilot that ever reported observing a UFO received the usual standard procedure of insults. If an end is desired, the members of the Association can rest assured, of support from the thousands of people in the UFO field Contact should be made with the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, 1536 Conneticut Ave., Washington, D.C. They are in co-operation with hundreds of other UFO organizations in the country, willing to co-operate with the pilots. It is strongly urged that the Association and members give this their unequivical consideration.

Doesn't it seem logical, that after 12 years of this reported phenomena, the Congress of the United States should have acted in behalf of the people they represent? Without a shadow of a doubt, every Congressman sent to Washington has received some type of inquiry about UFO's. They have been petitioned again and again by sincere citizens to have UFO data held by the Air Force, released.

Some Congressman have tried to get the Air Force to yield all UFO data. These men, who represent the American people, receive in reply to their efforts, a well worded "form letter" which always amounts to the same polite brush-off. This "fact sheet" is like a broken record. It has been issued every six months to the news media with the same watered dow versions of UFO information.

Many of our congressman have apathetically accepted this well worded and concise form letter. Still others, like Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona (Rep.), are helping to bring the UFO "controversy" to a head in the form of a public hearing.

Isn't it true that informed people are free people? Is it true that the public is not being fully informed about UFO's? So, are we a free people? What secrets are being held by a few? Who is basically responsible for the witholding of this information from the public? The Air Force? Or could there be some other agency shepherding the Air Force?

While the silence order was imposed on Captain Killian however the same did not apply to Mrs. Killian. She remarked. "Although the Captain isn't talking, I can talk." Mrs. Killian was asked if American Airlines had been approached by the Air Force and she replied. "The company was approached, requesting the silence, and of course they had to comply. The company at no time before this requested the Captain not to talk about this sighting. And in fact the company had newsmen and photographers at LaGuardia Airport to meet the Captain when he landed back in New York from his trip after the sighting."

Mrs. Killian was then asked if Captain Killian would be willing to go before the Space Committee hearings in Washington to relate his story. Mrs. Killian replied, "Definitely In fact, a senator asked the Captain if he could come to Washington and tell his story. The Captain said 'Yes, I would go, but you would have to subpoena me. Then I could talk."

About this file

Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. The text was read from the page images by an OCR model; expect the odd misread word. 83 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.