box Incident Summaries 173-233

Objects seemed to take no definite course but flew in a general easterly direction in a gradual descent. A few came close enough to cause the pilot & co-pilot to duck as it appeared they might come thru the nose of the plane. Maj Smartt's analogy is as follows: Take about 1/2 gallon of water and dump it 200 yards in front of an approaching aircraft about 200 feet above it, with the water taking the shape of a teardrop. These objects appeared to travel in a straight line toward the aircraft and gradually descended, passing from view under the wing of the C-47. The apparent speed of these objects appeared quite high as they remained in view for only a second. They were sighted one at a time at intervals of three or four minutes. Discrepancies noted: In first report Maj Smartt reported seeing 15 to 20 objects. Later he reports seeing three or four. In first report he states that they pursued no definite course in that some traveled downward and some traveled upward. In last report he does not mention that any pursued an upward course. The analogy of comparing sighting of these objects to 1/2 gallon of water dumped approximately 200 yards in front of his aircraft and that teardrop objects were formed seems to indicate an impression of a group of objects seen at one time (as first reported) and not singly at intervals of three or four minutes.