Document · 17 July 1957
Project Blue Book case file: Forbes AFB, Kansas, July 1957 (RB-47)
The Project Blue Book file on the RB-47 encounter of 17 July 1957, filed under "Forbes AFB, Kansas, July 1957" in the National Archives' sanitized Blue Book case files (microfilm T1206, roll 28). Its 56 pages hold the record card, the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing's four-page message amplifying the crew's CIRVIS report (signed by the wing intelligence officer), Air Defense Command and Air Technical Intelligence Center correspondence, a Civil Aeronautics Administration letter on two airliner near-misses that month, the pilot's Airborne Observer's Data Sheet, and later additions: a 1971 reprint of James McDonald's article and Philip Klass's 1971 paper "The RB-47 UFO Case -- A New Explanation", with a 1972 covering letter.
The file shows the case's contradictions: ADC carried it as unknown, an ATIC analyst found it hard to dismiss, and the record card closed it as an airliner by citing a different near-miss. Our copy was assembled from NARA's page images; its OCR is imperfect, and the record card and the message's last two pages were transcribed by hand.
Sources: National Archives, Project Blue Book (NARA ID 28970538)
Facts and claims
- documented The record card gives 17 July 1957, Forbes AFB, Kansas / Oklahoma City / Fort Worth, first sighting 0350 local (1050Z), source “USAF A/C Crew”, air-visual and air-intercept radar, and the summary “A blue light was seen in sky that stayed with a/c for 420 NM. Object was picked up by B-47 radar but could not be seen by ground radar.” Conclusion: “Was Aircraft”; comment: “Identified as American Airlines flight 655.” Source: doc-bluebook-rb47-1957.pdf
- documented Air Defense Command's letter of 15 August 1957 asks the 38th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Forbes AFB, to have “Major Lewis D. Chase”, who made a UFOB sighting over Fort Worth on 17 July 1957, complete an Airborne Observer's Data Sheet; on 17 October ADC sent the papers to the Air Technical Intelligence Center as unexplained. Source: doc-bluebook-rb47-1957.pdf
- documented The Civil Aeronautics Administration's reply to ATIC says its investigation of the 17 July near-miss near El Paso established that the object seen by American Airlines flight 655 was American Airlines flight 966, out of El Paso for Dallas. Source: doc-bluebook-rb47-1957.pdf
- documented In January 1972 the Chief of the Historical Research Division, Maurer Maurer, thanked Klass for his report, finding his explanation reasonable, and sent a copy to the Blue Book case file. Source: doc-bluebook-rb47-1957.pdf
Connected files
Programs
- Project Blue Book (case file of)
Incidents
Mentioned in this file
- National Archives and Records Administration (Organization)
- National Air and Space Intelligence Center (Organization)
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