Category 11 Case Directory
  SIGHTINGS FROM AIRCRAFT 
 
  Preliminary Rating: 5  

                                   
     

AVCAT is a special project being conducted by NICAP, with the help and cooperation of the original compiler of AIRCAT, Dr. Richard Haines, and other sources, to create a comprehensive listing of sightings from aircraft with detailed documentation from these sources, including Projects SIGN, GRUDGE & BLUE BOOK.

Nash / Fortenberry Case
July 14, 1952
near Norfolk, Virginia
9:12 p.m. EDT
Duration not given
DC-4 aircraft
United States
 Civilian
9 observers
No EMI
No radar contact

Fran Ridge:
This is apparently case #6 of Major Dewey Fournet's "motions study" UFOs cases as presented to the Robertson Panel in January of 1953, whereby he deduced that UFOs were guided by intelligence and the flight characteristics indicated that the intelligence was beyond "us". It is also case #24, on the official clearance list. of 41 formerly classified Air Technical Intelligence UFO reports cleared for Maj. Donald E. Keyhoe by Albert M. Chop, Air Force Press Desk.

Brad Sparks:
July 14, 1952; 20-25 miles N. of Norfolk, Va (BBU 1444) [CCL Item #24]
 9:12 p.m. (EDT). Pan American Airways FO William B. Nash, Second Officer William H. Fortenberry, in a DC-4 airliner at 8,000 ft heading 200° magnetic, sighted a total of 8 large, round, glowing red coin­shaped objects, 100 ft diameter 15 ft thick, maneuvering in two groups of 3 then joined slightly after by another 2. Objects approached head on at high speed estimated at about 12,000 [27,000] mph at about 2,000 ft altitude [about 2° depression angle] silhouetted against the ground, to a position almost directly below their airliner, in a stack formation then suddenly making a 150° hairpin turn like balls bouncing off a wall, joined by 2 more identical but much brighter red objects which came from behind on the right under the aircraft at about the same 2,000 ft altitude as the first 6 objects joining formation by falling in behind, all silhouetted against the black background of bay water, with one moment when all 8 objects blacked out then reappeared. At about 10 miles S of Newport News objects ascended as a group in fixed formation in an arc to the right towards Newport News to about 10,000 ft altitude [about 0.4° above level or about 2° above horizon line] out to disappearance by blinking out randomly, after covering a total distance of roughly 90 miles from start to finish (35 miles on approach, 55 miles to departure). Possibly 7 ground observers. (Sparks; McDonald; Tom Tulien; Joel Carpenter)

Detailed reports and documents
Formation of Discs Below Airliner (FUFOR)
OSI Document Found - Errors in Document Corrected (Fran Ridge/Jan Aldrich)
Revisiting One of the Classics: The 1952 Nash-Fortenberry Sighting (Tom Tulien)
Comments on Case #8 (Dr. James E. McDonald)
NARA-PBB90-529-540 (Fran Ridge)
MAXW-PBB12-168-241 (Dan Wilson)
NARA-PBB92-11.jpg [newspaper clip] (Dan Wilson)

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