The Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter is a significant event in the history of UFO sightings, occurring on the night of July 24, 1948. Captain Clarence S. Chiles and co-pilot John B. Whitted were flying an Eastern Air Lines DC-3 aircraft on a route from Houston to Atlanta. At approximately 2:45 AM, while cruising at an altitude of about 5,000 feet near Montgomery, Alabama, they witnessed something extraordinary.
The pilots spotted a bright, glowing object approaching them from the left and slightly above their aircraft. As it drew nearer, they could see it was a cigar-shaped craft, approximately 100 feet long, with a brilliant, orange-red glow and a distinctive bluish-white light at its forward end. The object moved with incredible speed and agility, performing maneuvers far beyond the capabilities of known aircraft at the time.
As the object passed alongside their plane, it was so close that it seemed almost within reach. The pilots estimated its speed to be around 1,000 miles per hour. The encounter lasted only a few seconds, but it left a lasting impression. After passing the DC-3, the object abruptly pulled up into a cloud and disappeared from sight.
The crew immediately reported the sighting to air traffic control upon landing. The incident was thoroughly investigated by the United States Air Force (USAF) as part of Project Sign, the first official UFO investigation project. The sighting was deemed credible due to the reputation and experience of the witnesses, making it one of the three "classic" UFO incidents of 1948, along with the Mantell UFO incident and the Gorman Dogfight.
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