Chiles–Whitted airliner encounter

Record summary

What happened Eastern Air Lines pilots Clarence Chiles and John Whitted reported that a long, brightly illuminated object approached their DC-3 on a near-collision course at about 02:45. They described rows of window-like lights, a reddish-orange exhaust-like glow and a rapid climb into cloud after it passed. A passenger reported a brief streak of light but did not provide the pilots' structural detail. Air Force intelligence treated the pilots as credible and debated whether the report described an unknown aircraft. Later skeptical analyses proposed a bright meteor, noting the short duration, luminous trail and disagreement over whether the object entered cloud or vanished. Evidence Two trained cockpit observers, one limited passenger observation, prompt interviews and Air Force case documentation. No radar, photograph or physical trace is known. Explanations considered A bolide or fireball is the main conventional explanation. The structured fuselage and window descriptions are the principal reason some investigators rejected a meteor, but close, bright, fast events can distort size and structure perception. What remains uncertain The encounter lasted only seconds at night. The pilots agreed on the core event but differed in some details, and distance could not be measured. Primary source The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects — Project Gutenberg Further source trail Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiles-Whitted_UFO_encounter