Part 14 – Peculiar Phenomenon: Early United States Efforts to Collect and Analyze Flying Discs

"There was something radically wrong in civil and military aviation eight days before the first public sightings of flying discs on June 24, 1947."

 - J. Andrew Kissner

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Civil Aeronautics Board authorities reported a B-29 missing around 10:00 p.m. on June 14, 1947, but added that they did not know either its origin or destination. At 12:35 a.m. on June 15, a telephone operator reported seeing a large plane "dumping flares." Shortly thereafter, a B-29 of the 64th squadron of the 43rd bomb group based at Davis-Monthan Field in Tucson, Arizona, slammed into Hawkes Mountain near Springfield, Vermont, killing twelve. It was reported to be enroute to Andrews Field, Maryland, via Pittsburg.