|
Brad Sparks:
June 3, 1957; Shreveport, Louisiana (BBU)
8:30 [9:35?] -9:30? p.m. (CST). Shortly after takeoff
from Shreveport Airport, heading for Lake Charles,
La., and climbing, Capt. Lynn Kern and FO Abbey
Zimmerman flying Trans-Texas Airlines Flight 103 were
told by the control tower that a small light was
visible nearby. They saw the star-like blue-green
pulsating [?] object hovering (approaching?) at their
10 [2?] o'clock position at about 400 ft then climbing
rapidly to 1,000 ft paralleling the airliner then at
110 knots speed (130 mph later 165 mph) but at higher
altitude and 1/2 mile away. Kern flashed landing
lights and object responded with a beam [?] of light.
2nd blue-green pulsating object joined the first on
the opposite side of the airliner (then at 9,000 ft),
air crew confirmed from tower that it had both objects
on radar and visually through binoculars, objects
headed S at 170° climbing to about 10,000 ft and
followed airliner to Converse, La., (about 45 miles S
of Shreveport) where pilot queried ADC radar site,
England AFS, Alexandria, La., which confirmed the 2
targets in the airliner's vicinity at 9,700 ft.
Objects disappeared from sight in a cloud deck to the
SW. (Hynek UFO Exp ch. 7, case RV-6; NARCAP) 1 hr ?
J. Allen Hynek:
An account of a Radar-Visual sighting by the captain
of a Trans-Texas airliner illustrates not only the
prototype of these cases but, once again, the ever-
present reluctance, especially on the part of
technically trained people, to report a UFO. The
member of the 4602nd Air Force intelligence squadron
who interviewed the pilot in this case and prepared
the report to Blue Book.
|