The Bethune Flight 124 airmiss in 1951:

U.S. Naval Reserve Lieutenant Graham Bethune, co-pilot on Flight 125 from Keflavik, reported:

"While flying in the left seat on a true course of 230 degrees at a position of 49-50 North and 50-03 West, I observed a glow of light below the horizon about 1,000 to 1,500 feet above the water. We both observed its course and motion for about 4 or 5 minutes before calling it to the attention of the other crew members... Suddenly its angle of attack changed, its altitude and size increased as though its speed was in excess of 1,000 miles per hour. It closed in so fast that the first feeling was we would collide in midair. At this time its angle changed and the color changed. It then [appeared] definitely circular and reddish orange on its perimeter. It reversed its course and tripled its speed until it was last seen disappearing over the horizon. Because of our altitude and misleading distance over water it is almost impossible to estimate its size, distance, and speed. A rough estimate would be at least 300 feet in diameter, over 1,000 miles per hour in speed, and approached to within 5 miles of the aircraft."

Table of content:

	The case, general information.
	The Air Intelligence Report page 1 of 2.
	The Air Intelligence Report, page 2 of 2.
	Project record card.
	Fleet logistic report by witness Fred W. Kingdon.
	Letter to CG, AMC, by Colonel S. Harris (This page).
	Letter from North East Air Command: all experienced North Atlantic flyers.
	Radio Note from J.J. Rogers to Colonel Harris of Wright Patterson AFB..
	Major Keyhoe of NICAP's story.
	Dominique Weinstein's case summary.
	Graham E. Bethune's public testimony at Washington Disclosure conference 2001.
	Other sightings in that area.
	Letter from North East Air Command: weather clear, no planes.
	The Parrot letter; explaining it away: it was a meteor, or Northern Lights (This page).
	Drawings by witnesses.
	References.

Picture of a Navy R5D transport. The R5D is a variant of the C-54 transport, whose civilian version is known as the Skymaster.

Letter by Col. Harris to the CG, Air Material Command:

The letter indicates that 5 aboard the C-54 were interrogated by Navy personal and have written statements about the sighting. The statement were forwarded to the Air Material Command.

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
HEADQUARTERS UNITIED STATES AIR FORCE
WASHINGTON 25, D.C.

AFOIN-7/TC
FEB 26, 1951

SUBJECT:
(Unclassified) Sighting of Unidentified Flying Object

Commanding General
Air Material Command
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Dayton, Ohio
ATTN: Chief, Intelligence Department

1. Reference is made to radnote, this headquarters, date time group 132056, concerning unidentified flying object sighting on 10 February 1951. The enclosed statements were obtained upon interrogation of the Naval personnel making this sighting.

2. Forwarded for you information.

BY COMMAND OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF:

7 Incls
LESTER S. HARRIS

1. Statement fr LT Kingdon Colonel, USAF
2. Statement fr LTJG Jones Chief, Technical Capabilities Branch
3. Statement fr LT Koger Evaluations Division
4. Statement fr LT Bethune Directorate of Intelligence
5. Statement fr LT Meyer
6. Statement fr ALC Shiever
7. Statement fr AB3 Daniels

Fac simile of Harris' letter to the AMC:

This page was last updated on December 4, 2001.