First Officer William H. Fortenberry

Airline Pilot

First Officer aboard the Eastern Air Lines flight who independently confirmed the extraordinary aerial formation witnessed by Captain Nash.
William H. Fortenberry was a Pan American World Airways pilot who served as Second Officer (acting as pilot-navigator) on Pan Am Flight 7, a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser that disappeared over the Pacific Ocean on November 8, 1957, killing all 44 people on board.

He was previously known for the Nash-Fortenberry sighting, a prominent UFO report from July 14, 1952, where he and First Officer William B. Nash observed eight disc-shaped objects maneuvering at extreme speeds near Norfolk, Virginia. At the time of the 1952 incident, Fortenberry was a Second Officer on a DC-4 ferrying flight, whereas on Flight 7 in 1957, he was a seasoned crew member with extensive experience, including 1,552 hours specifically in the Stratocruiser.

photo: William Fortenberry, left, and William Nash, right, within two days after their reported encounter.