Chiles-Whitted UFO Encounter

One of the classic cases that initially convinced Project Sign personnel that UFOs were real

Name	Chiles-Whitted UFO Encounter
Occurred on	July 24, 1948
Seen by	Commercial pilots, Clarence S. Chiles and John B. Whitted
Investigated by	U.S. Air Force Project Sign

In 1948, the U.S. Air Force’s classified investigation into UFOs under the umbrella Project Sign made a shocking conclusion: UFOs exist. Personnel began with typical suspicion, but after the three most classic UFO cases occurred, they concluded they finally had proof.

One of these cases was the Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter.

Whatever happened on that eventful morning of July 24, 1948 not only stunned the witnesses but also pressed the U.S. government to start its infamous top-secret investigations.

Some believed the craft to be a soviet spy craft invading the American airspace. Others think it’s convincing evidence of the extraterrestrials. Unfortunately, while the public’s curiosity was piqued, the case was ultimately buried, and the investigation results were destroyed.

What could it have been?

What Is the Chiles-Whitted UFO Encounter?

If one were to ask UFO researchers and enthusiasts about the classics of the UFO cases, the Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter is likely one of the first to come up.

The case is grouped alongside the Gorman Dogfight and Mantell UFO incident—the most convincing sightings that affirmed most people’s beliefs about the extraterrestrial.

It all started at 8:30 PM on July 23, 1948.

Eastern Airlines DC-3, piloted by Captain Clarence S. Chiles with his first officer, John B. Whitted, took off on a domestic flight from Houston, Texas, to Atlanta and Boston. This flight route was one of the plane’s usual trips, but something that day would be different.

The weather that night was peaceful. The skies were clear with no clouds or precipitation that could have made an illusion of what both pilots claimed they encountered. Both were alert and, with thousands of flight hours, experienced in long hours.

Almost all of their 20 passengers were fast asleep, so the plane was quiet until something caught their eye, disrupting their peaceful flight.

At 2:45 AM, when they were 20 miles southwest of Montgomery, Captain Chiles spotted a bright light along their path. He informed his co-pilot, and both watched as it came in fast on them. One moment it was in front of them, and the next it was almost on top of their plane.

In one of his statements, Chiles described the craft’s behavior.

When it got alongside us, it pulled up with a tremendous burst of flames out of the rear. The flames were so bright they blinded us for a second. Then the ship disappeared into the broken clouds. The moon was shining intermittently, and the ship could be seen for a few seconds and would then be obscured.

The Pilots’ Credibility and Precise Statements

Although taken aback, the pilots still ensured their passengers’ safety. By the time they landed in Atlanta at 3:49 PM, they immediately reported the event to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC), not to start a rumor or conspiracy but because it was protocol.

The Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter is among the first cases involving professional, credible individuals, which is precisely why the case was taken seriously. Both pilots were WWII veterans, known to be conservative and to take their positions seriously.

Clarence S. Chiles	John B. Whitted
– Former Air Transport Command Lieutenant – Colonel18,500 Flight Hours	– Former US Air Force Pilot – Over 2,000 Flight Hours

With their reputation and professions in line, they had nothing to gain and everything to lose with their claims. Despite questions and doubts about their experience, both remained adamant about their story. However, it wasn’t just this adamance that drew ample attention to the Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter. It was also due to how similar their statements were.

In two separate interviews with the ATIC, the pilots gave the following description of what they encountered:

Clarence S. Chiles

It was in line almost with our flight. We veered off to the left, and this object turned to its left. When it came nearer to us, within better sight, its fuselage appeared to be about 100 feet in length and about four times the circumference of a B-29 fuselage. It had two rows of windows, an upper and a lower. They were square. Out of the rear of the ship, red flames were shooting 25 to 50 feet. There was a blue glow underneath the fuselage.3

John B. Whitted

The object was cigar-shaped and seemed to be about a hundred feet in length. The fuselage appeared to be about three times the circumference of a B-29 fuselage. It had two rows of windows. They were very large and seemed square. They were white with light, which seemed to be caused by some type of combustion.5

Hours later, they were also asked to draw the craft, which further demonstrated the precision of their statements.

Over the course of their interviews and statements, a more defined description of the mysterious craft was established:

• It was at least 100 ft long.
• It was shaped like a cigar and torpedo.
• It was metallic with no visible wings, tail, or engine pods.
• It had a row of windows or portholes that were visibly glowing.
• It had a distinct nose section that was slightly rounded.

In one interview, Chiles claimed he thought he saw shadows from inside, though he admitted he couldn’t be sure.

Were There Other Witnesses and Similar Incidents to the Chiles-Whitted UFO Encounter?

The most obvious witnesses to corroborate the pilots’ statements would have been their passengers. However, of the 20, only one claimed to have been awake during the encounter.

Clarence L. McKelvie, an assistant managing editor at the American Education Press, released his statement when interviewed by the Associated Press.

I saw no shape or form. I was on the right side of the plane, and suddenly I saw this strange, eerie streak out of my window. It was very intense, not like lightning or anything I had ever seen.

On the Same Day: July 24, 1948

If this wasn’t enough to support the Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter, two similar observations were reported to have happened around the same time:

• From Robbins Air Force Base in Georgia
• From the Virginia-North Carolina State Line

A crew chief at Robbins Field in Macon, Georgia, detailed seeing an extremely bright light passing southward through the base at high speed. Officials present at the area described what appeared to be a wingless craft, similar to what Chiles and Whitted observed.

Days after the Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter, the second report came in. A pilot stated that he saw “a bright shooting star” in the direction of Montgomery while flying in Virginia, North Carolina, and it was found to have happened about the same time as the Eastern Airlines event.

Days Before: July 20, 1948

A similar wingless craft was allegedly sighted days before the Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter. The report came from The Hague, Netherlands. Witnesses reported seeing a double-decked spaceship moving at high altitude and at a fantastic speed, similar to what the pilots saw.

How Did the Air Force Get Involved in the Investigations?

After the Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter was published to the public, the Air Force initially took their hands off any involvement with it. The organization was also quick to shut down claims that the mysterious object was their equipment.

When asked to give a statement, the then-Chief of the Strategic Air Command, General George C. Kenney, said, “The army hasn’t anything like that. I wish we did.”

This was the response presented to the public. However, author Donald Keyhoe believed otherwise. In his book, The Flying Saucers Are Real, he wrote that the case definitely caught the military’s attention. A contact in Washington gave him a tip.

Within 48 hours after that Eastern sighting, Air Force engineers rushed out blueprint plans and elevations of the “spaceship” based on what the two pilots told them.

The Chiles-Whitted UFO Encounter as Case 144 in Project Sign

In 1948, the U.S. Air Force was already quietly collecting reports under Project Sign—the first official investigation into UFOs. The Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter was immediately considered a case of great importance for this initiative.

It was listed as Case 144, with a report that stated:

There is no astronomical explanation if we accept the report at face value. But the sheer improbability of the facts stated, particularly in the absence of any known aircraft in the vicinity, makes it necessary to see whether any other explanation, even though far-fetched can be considered.

Project Sign’s preliminary investigations allegedly involved the teams screening over 225 civilian and military flight schedules. After nine months, a report concluded that the unidentified object wasn’t a conventional aircraft.

By April 27, 1949, the Air Force admitted that it had failed to reach a definitive answer about the spaceship. The case was then moved to “Unidentified,” but it was later revealed that Project Sign was still investigating it closely.

What Are the Possible Explanations for the Encounter?

Following the Air Force’s inconclusive investigation, multiple alternative explanations were put forward in an attempt to explain what the pilots saw that night.

An Astronomical Event

One of the most pressing explanations was that the Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter was merely an astronomical event. According to this, what the pilots saw was a bolide or an exploding meteor passing through the airplane and producing the light and trail.

Some scientists argued that the meteor’s movement could have produced an illusion of structure, especially given how quickly the encounter unraveled.

However, the pilots were adamant. They argued the following:

• They saw a craft with windows and structure, which wouldn’t be present on a meteor.
• The mysterious object maneuvered as though it were avoiding hitting their plane.
• The object didn’t move on a fixed arc.

A High-Atmospheric Rocket

Another possible explanation was offered by a Navy spokesman, who said that a high-altitude rocket had gone astray from New Mexico that night. The report was published on the editorial page of the Washington Star.

The Navy says that naval technicians have been testing a 3000-mph rocket in New Mexico. If one went astray, it could travel across our continent in a short time.

However, this claim had been countered by Donald Keyhoe with the following reasons:

1. There had been no cases of long-distance runaway, as rockets are launched and controlled with the utmost care.
2. If the claim were true, it would have caused a lot of publicity until the rocket was found.
3. The rocket would also have had to maneuver sharply, as the pilots described, but no test rocket has controls that would allow this.

A Possible Suppression of Information

An alleged drafting of a top-secret document by the Air Technical Intelligence Center, labeled “Estimate of the Situation,” happened just days after the Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter.

Air Force officer and the first head of the infamous Project Blue Book, Edward J. Ruppelt, claimed he saw the document and stated, “The ‘situation’ was the UFOs. The ‘estimate’ was that they were interplanetary,” alluding that the Air Force did consider the craft as extraterrestrial.

However, he added that this document traveled along the chain of command all the way to the Chief of Staff, General Hoyt S. Vanderberg, where it would be last seen.

A group from ATIC went to the Pentagon to bolster their position, but had no luck. The Chief of Staff couldn’t be convinced. The estimate died a quick death. Some months later, it was completely declassified and relegated to the incinerator.

This clampdown of information was, to J. Allen Hynek, what started the “long period of unfortunate, amateurish public relations” against the UFO experience.

What Is the Chiles-Whitted UFO Encounter’s Significance in Ufology?

While the case remains classified as “Unidentified,” the Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter is consistently cited as one of the most compelling UFO cases in history. It was among the earliest events considered credible by licensed professionals, which prompted serious attention.

The incident stands out primarily because it was investigated by the Air Force, and also because it helped change how UFOs were viewed, particularly in the post-war era.

It was also among the cases that sparked the belief that UFO encounters may be more technological than extraterrestrial. The Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter challenged how humans accept uncertainty. In the absence of definitive explanations, this case still hovers between what we know and what remains a mystery.

If you’re interested in learning more about earlier UFO incidents and the most recent ones, UFO Connect provides context, files, and a whole breakdown of such cases.

FAQ

Were there other witnesses to the Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter?

Yes, Clarence McKelvie, one of the DC-3’s passengers, reported seeing a bright light close to the time of the incident. However, he didn’t give much detail about the object.

Did the U.S. Air Force investigate the encounter?

Yes, this incident was investigated under Project Sign. Initial reports suggested the object might be an ‘interplanetary’ spacecraft, but this was later downplayed by higher command.

Was the Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter officially solved?

No, the case remains unresolved. Although the Air Force favored conventional explanations, no official theory accounted for all the details of the Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter, particularly the object’s maneuverability.

References