The incident took place on May 29, 1950, while Captain Sperry was piloting an American Airlines DC-6 aircraft from Washington, D.C., to Nashville, Tennessee.
During the flight, as the aircraft climbed to an altitude of 20,000 feet, Captain Sperry and his crew, including co-pilot Bill Gates and flight engineer Robert Arnholt, noticed an unusual and bright bluish light ahead of them. The light rapidly increased in size and seemed to be moving towards their aircraft. The crew described the object as a brilliant, glowing orb that followed their plane, exhibiting behavior unlike any conventional aircraft or natural phenomenon they had ever encountered.
Concerned and intrigued, Captain Sperry attempted to make radio contact with air traffic control and other nearby aircraft, but no one else reported seeing the object. Despite his efforts to receive confirmation or additional information, the object remained visible only to those aboard the DC-6. The encounter lasted approximately 10 minutes, during which the mysterious orb continued to grow larger, before suddenly disappearing as abruptly as it had appeared.
Following the incident, Captain Sperry and his crew reported the sighting to American Airlines and the U.S. Air Force. The case received significant media attention, with Captain Sperry being interviewed by multiple newspapers. The incident was later featured in the 1956 semi-documentary film "Unidentified Flying Objects: The True Story of Flying Saucers," which further highlighted the credibility of Sperry and his crew's account.
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