← Back to the archive

UFO-1948-004 · UFOs & UAPs

Chiles–Whitted encounter

This page records what was reported. A report, official record or unresolved status is not proof of an extraordinary explanation.

The case record

What was reported?

Eastern Airlines pilots reported a cigar-shaped luminous object passing close to their DC-3.

Reported date
24 Jul 1948
Witnesses
Commercial pilots / passengers · Multiple
Investigation
Project Sign

Evidence in the record

Eyewitness testimony

Eyewitness testimony

Competing explanations

Official and research context

Unresolved in early files

Conventional explanations

Meteor/fireball often proposed

Arguments that remain contested

Witness descriptions of apparent structure and close passage remain disputed

Locations & timeline

Coordinates are representative. Area and route labels do not imply exact paths or object positions.

  1. Primary reference location

    Airspace roughly southwest of Montgomery

    Montgomery

    Reported event location · Approximate area radius: 40 km

    32.100°, -86.400° · route · Approximate

Record notes

Display as an approximate airborne encounter location.

Imported starting record; individual claims and source links await editorial verification.

Original dataset status: Unresolved / disputed

The conversation around the evidence

What do you make of the record?

0 case views

Assess the evidence, rather than the people involved. Community votes express reader opinion and do not change the case’s public status.

Discussion & submitted updates (0)

No contributions yet. Start with a question about the evidence.

Moderation & appeals · Corrections and source updates