Type: Pilot Reports
Source: Eastern Air Lines
Statements and operational reports submitted by Captain Nash and First Officer Fortenberry immediately following the encounter.
William B. Nash was the First Officer (not Captain) of a Pan American World Airways DC-4 on July 14, 1952, when he and Second Officer William H. Fortenberry witnessed eight unidentified flying objects near Norfolk, Virginia.
Key details from their report:
Observation: The pilots saw six bright, red-orange, disc-shaped objects in echelon formation, which were later joined by two more, totaling eight.
Maneuvers: The objects made a 150-degree instantaneous turn at estimated speeds exceeding 1,000 mph (calculated as ~12,000 mph in some analyses), performing maneuvers the pilots deemed impossible for human endurance.
Physical Characteristics: Estimated at 100 feet in diameter and 15 feet thick, the objects glowed brightly, dimmed before turning, and blinked out randomly upon disappearing.
Official Report: Nash and Fortenberry radioed Norfolk airport to report: "Two pilots of this flight observed eight unidentified objects vicinity Langley Field; estimate speed in excess of 1,000 mph; altitude estimated 2,000 feet."
Verification: The sighting was corroborated by their calculations using a Dalton Mark 7 computer and was subsequently investigated by military officials, with the account later published in TRUE Magazine in 1967.