Cylindrical Object Shadows Pan Am Flight, 1947
Airline captain and navigator spot bright orange cylinder pacing their aircraft near Boston.
May 8, 2026
Pending
PURSUE Program
AI Disclosure Brief
AI assistedReported Object Read
Pan American Airways Captain Alpheus O. Powell and Navigator Walter I. White independently observed a bright orange, cylindrical object with blunt ends, approximately 15 feet long, flying at 150-175 mph near their Constellation aircraft at 8,000 feet, 10 miles northwest of Boston.
Notable Characteristics
- Color: bright orange / deep gold
- Luminosity: bright, reflective
- Size: length of P-40 fuselage (~15 feet)
Reported Motion
- steady course, no maneuvers observed
Evidence Notes
- Pilot interview summary (12 Sep 1947)
- Navigator interview summary (15 Sep 1947)
- Agent notes on witness credibility
Credible dual-witness aviation report from 1947 flying disc wave describes structured, luminous object not matching known balloons, targets, or aircraft; separate Birmingham photo included but unrelated.
Cigar
EYE
90%
Prosaic Leads
- Pilot balloon (ruled out by witnesses)
- Tow target (ruled out)
- Meteorological device (ruled out)
Anomalous Indicators
- Solid shape with no exhaust
- Slow speed at altitude
- Independent sightings of possibly distinct objects
Evidence Gaps
- No radar or ground corroboration
- Brief observation obscured by cloud
- No pursuit due to airway constraints
Evidence Quotes // source statements
Open archive"Object was cylindrical in shape, blunt at both ends, bright orange hue; no gaseous dissipation like rocket exhaust."
Alpheus O. Powell, Pan Am Captain / Pan American Airways
Description of object observed from left side of aircraft.
Source"Deep gold color, surface reflected light; elliptical, blunted ends, 15 feet long, 2-3 feet deep."
Walter I. White, Navigator / Pan American Airways
Description of object observed from right side.
Source"Mr. Powell appears to be a calm, intelligent individual, not given to flights of fancy."
Unknown speaker, Agent / Air Defense Command
Credibility assessment of witness.
SourcePattern Mesh // linked sightings
Unresolved UAP Report, United Arab Emirates, October 2023
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of four minutes and 57 seconds of video footage from an infrared (IR) sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2023. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D23, mentions a UAP was observed during the mission. Video Description: 00:00-01:55: No content. 01:56: An area of contrast becomes distinguishable against the background in the center of the right side of the display. 02:04: The IR sensor pans to center on the area of contrast. 02:14: The sensor field-of-view narrows to zoom in on the area of contrast. 02:15-03:26: The area of contrast remains generally in the center of the sensor field-of-view. 03:27-04:57: The sensor motion causes the area of contrast to move erratically across the display. Due to this motion, the sensor system repeatedly loses and reacquires the area of contrast within the center area of the display. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, United Arab Emirates, October 2023
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 43 seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2023. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D23, mentions a UAP was observed during the mission. Video Description: 00:00-00:17: An area of contrast remains generally within the top left quarter of the display. 00:17-00:18: The sensor pans from right to left, causing the area of contrast to pass through the center of the display. The sensor then pans from left to right, causing the area of contrast to return to its approximate initial position within the sensor field-of-view. 00:29: The sensor stops tracking the area of contrast, causing it to leave the sensor field-of-view on the left side of the screen. 00:30-00:43: The sensor resumes its motion relative to the background but does not reacquire the area of contrast. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, October 2024
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of five seconds of video footage from a full-motion video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D32, described the UAP as consisting of a “misshapen and uneven ball of white light,” and reported that a “light/glare halo effect” occurred at the top of the FMV feed. Video Description: 00:01-00:03: Two semi-transparent, irregularly shaped orange areas overlay the background imagery, persisting for less than two seconds each. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, October 2024
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of six seconds of video footage from a full-motion video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D32, described the UAP as consisting of a “misshapen and uneven ball of white light,” and reported that a “light/glare halo effect” occurred at the top of the FMV feed. Video Description: 00:02-00:04: An area of irregular color and brightness, mainly consisting of white and red highlights, appears near the center of the top edge of the sensor display. The area extends to a width of approximately one-third of the horizontal frame, with a vertical area comprising approximately one-sixth of the viewing area. Overall, its shape is best described as a horizontally-oriented half-oval bisected along its major axis. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, October 2024
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of five seconds of video footage from a full-motion video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D32, described the UAP as consisting of a “misshapen and uneven ball of white light,” and reported that a “light/glare halo effect” occurred at the top of the FMV feed. Video Description: 00:00-00:01: An indistinctly shaped multi-colored area moves from right to left across the top edge of the sensor display within the first second of the video. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, July 2022
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 14 seconds of video footage from an infrared (left) and electro-optical (right) sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2022. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D16, described the UAP as “moving from north to south.” Video Description: At the five second mark, the video depicts an object moving from right to left across the top right quarter of the sensor field-of-view. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Chronology Trace // before & after
Apollo 12 Lunar Anomaly Highlighted, 1969
Moon
Large Blue Triangle Hovers Near Facility, March 2023
Pacific Time Zone
FBI Photo B23 Western US Mystery
Western United States
FBI's Central Crosshair UAP Image
PURSUE Program
Official Files // source material
1 linked65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Serial_130
·CONFIDENTIAL 62-83894-130 DECLASSIFIED Authority: NND 90986 IN REPLY REFER TO: HEADQUARTERS AIR DEFENSE COMMAND MITCHEL FIELD, NEW YORK 12 September 1947 SUBJECT: Unidentified Flying Object (Interview - Alphous 0. Powell) SUMMARY OF INFORMATION: The following information was received 12 August 1947 from Mr. Alpheus 0. Powell, 28 Redwood Road, New Hyde Park, Long Island, relative to the sighting of a possible flying disc 4 August 1947. On 4 August 1947, Mr Powell, an Airlines Captain with Pan American Airways, Inc., was the first pilot of a Constellation type aircraft on a flight from Gander, Newfoundland, to La Guardia Field, New York. Mr. Powell took over the aircraft at Gander, Newfoundland and departed at approximately 1230 P.M., Eastern Daylight Saving Time for La Guardia Field, New Y
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