Within The 1940 s Flying
Why the Flight 105 Sighting Carried Weight
The United Flight 105 sighting mattered because trained aircrew reported several flat objects in formation for multiple minutes.
On this page
- What the crew reported over the Northwest
- Why pilot testimony impressed newspapers
- What the sighting could and could not prove
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Introduction
The sighting involving United Air Lines Flight 105 on 4 July 1947 became one of the most influential episodes of the early flying saucer wave because it came from trained aviation professionals rather than casual observers. Just days after Kenneth Arnold’s famous report near Mount Rainier, Captain Emil J. Smith, First Officer Ralph Stevens and stewardess Marty Morrow reported watching several flat, unidentified objects flying in formation ahead of their aircraft for around 10 to 15 minutes over the Pacific Northwest. Although the observation did not establish what the objects were, it significantly shaped public opinion by demonstrating that experienced aircrew could also report unusual aerial phenomena. Contemporary newspapers, later investigators and modern historians alike have treated Flight 105 less as proof of extraordinary craft than as an important example of why pilot testimony carried unusual weight during the 1947 flying saucer craze.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
What the crew reported over the Northwest
United Air Lines Flight 105, a Douglas DC-3 operating from Boise, Idaho, to Seattle, departed shortly after 9 p.m. local time on 4 July 1947. About eight minutes after take-off, while climbing through roughly 8,000 feet near Emmett, Idaho, co-pilot Ralph Stevens noticed a group of bright objects ahead of the aircraft. Captain Emil J. Smith initially assumed they were conventional aircraft and briefly illuminated the DC-3’s landing lights as a precaution. Continued observation, however, convinced both pilots that the objects did not resemble ordinary aeroplanes.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…
The pilots described five flattened or disc-like objects flying in a loose formation. Shortly afterwards, those objects disappeared and were replaced by another group, making a total of nine objects observed during the encounter. According to Smith, the objects appeared mostly as dark silhouettes against the twilight sky, making their exact shape difficult to determine. He avoided claiming they were perfectly circular, instead emphasising that they lacked visible wings or tails and maintained a formation unlike anything he recognised.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
Rather than relying solely on their own impressions, the pilots summoned stewardess Marty Morrow into the cockpit. She independently confirmed seeing unusual objects ahead of the aircraft. The crew also radioed the Civil Aeronautics Administration station at Ontario, Oregon, and attempted to obtain confirmation from another United flight in the region. Neither ground personnel nor the other aircraft reported seeing the objects, leaving the Flight 105 crew as the only confirmed witnesses.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
The sighting lasted considerably longer than many contemporary reports. Smith later estimated that the crew followed the objects for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, covering roughly 45 miles before the formation accelerated away or gradually disappeared from view.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
Why pilot testimony impressed newspapers
During the first weeks of the 1947 saucer wave, newspapers published hundreds of reports from motorists, householders and curious members of the public. Many readers remained sceptical, assuming that excitement generated by Kenneth Arnold’s report had encouraged exaggeration or misidentification.
Flight 105 altered that perception because its principal witnesses were experienced commercial aviators. Captain Emil J. Smith had accumulated thousands of flying hours and openly admitted that he had previously dismissed flying saucer stories. Contemporary accounts quoted him joking before departure that he would believe such reports only when he saw one himself. That prior scepticism became part of the story, making his subsequent report appear less likely to be motivated by enthusiasm for the phenomenon.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: FLYING Magazine: The Flying Saucers - Fact or Fiction? - July, 1950…
Journalists also highlighted several aspects that distinguished the case from ordinary eyewitness accounts:
- Multiple professional observers. Two pilots independently observed the objects before inviting a third crew member to verify the sighting.
- Extended viewing time. Unlike a brief flash or distant light, the objects reportedly remained visible for several minutes.
- Methodical reactions. The crew attempted radio communication and sought independent confirmation instead of immediately concluding that the objects were extraordinary.
- Measured descriptions. Smith avoided dramatic claims, repeatedly acknowledging uncertainty about the exact shape and size of the objects.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
These characteristics made the incident one of the first pilot sightings to receive extensive national coverage. Aviation professionals were widely regarded as skilled observers trained to distinguish aircraft, weather conditions and navigational hazards, giving the report credibility that many civilian sightings lacked. Contemporary commentators later recalled that the Flight 105 report persuaded many previously sceptical readers that at least some witnesses were reporting genuine, unexplained observations rather than inventing stories.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
What the sighting could and could not prove
The Flight 105 incident illustrates both the strengths and the limits of eyewitness evidence.
Its greatest strength lies in the quality of the observers. Commercial airline pilots routinely identify aircraft, estimate relative motion and monitor changing atmospheric conditions. Their testimony therefore deserves careful consideration. The crew also demonstrated caution by attempting to verify the observation through radio contact and by inviting another crew member into the cockpit rather than relying on a single observer.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…
At the same time, the case did not provide decisive physical evidence. No photographs were taken, no radar data existed, and no independent ground observations confirmed the event. The passengers aboard the aircraft reportedly did not observe the objects, although Smith argued that their seating positions made the objects difficult to see because they remained largely ahead of the aircraft rather than beside it.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
Official investigations ultimately concluded that the objects could have been ordinary aircraft, balloons, birds or perceptual illusion. Those explanations remain possibilities because the available evidence is insufficient to eliminate them conclusively. However, the investigation likewise could not identify a specific conventional object that demonstrably matched every aspect of the crew’s account. As a result, the case has remained historically significant without becoming scientifically conclusive.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
Flight 105 within the 1947 saucer wave
Within the broader context of the 1947 flying saucer craze that preceded the Roswell announcement, Flight 105 helped reinforce the perception that reports were not confined to inexperienced observers. Kenneth Arnold himself regarded the airline crew’s testimony as particularly important because it appeared to validate that competent pilots could independently report similar aerial objects. Newspapers even photographed Arnold and Captain Smith comparing their experiences, reinforcing the impression that multiple aviation witnesses had encountered related phenomena.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
For historians, the lasting importance of Flight 105 is therefore not that it resolved the mystery of the flying saucers. Instead, it demonstrates how professional witnesses influenced public debate. During the crucial weeks before the Roswell story broke, reports from respected airline crews lent credibility to the idea that something unusual was being seen in American skies, even though those observations alone could not establish whether the cause was experimental aircraft, atmospheric effects, misidentification or something genuinely unknown.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
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Endnotes
1.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Flight 105 UFO sighting
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_105_UFO_sighting
2.
Source: project1947.com
Link:https://www.project1947.com/articles/flying750.htm
Source snippet
Project 1947PROJECT 1947: FLYING Magazine: The Flying Saucers - Fact or Fiction? - July, 1950...
3.
Source: project1947.com
Link:https://www.project1947.com/fig/ual105.htm
Source snippet
Project 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith...
Published: July 4, 1947
4.
Source: project1947.com
Link:https://project1947.com/fig/1950a.htm
5.
Source: project1947.com
Title: SH G: WHAT OUR AIR FORCE FOUND OUT ABOUT FLYING SAUCERS
Link:https://www.project1947.com/shg/articles/true_ruppelt.htm
6.
Source: ufo-sightings-daily.tumblr.com
Link:https://ufo-sightings-daily.tumblr.com/Pilots
Additional References
7.
Source: ufoinsight.com
Title: Hawkins, witnessed two “circular objects” skimming the surface over th
Link:https://www.ufoinsight.com/ufos/sightings/1947-snake-river-canyon-ufo
Source snippet
The 1947 Snake River Canyon UFO Incident - UFO InsightApril 15, 2019 — “…THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE AIR!” Earlier the same morning, at arou...
Published: April 15, 2019
8.
Source: thinkaboutitdocs.com
Title: 1947 united airlines flight 105 pilots witness disc shaped objects
Link:https://thinkaboutitdocs.com/1947-united-airlines-flight-105-pilots-witness-disc-shaped-objects/
Source snippet
1947 United Air Lines Flight 105 — Pilots See Nine Wingless Discs Over IdahoMay 10, 2013 — 1947: 105 PILOTS WITNESS DISC-SHAPED OBJECTS...
Published: May 10, 2013
9.
Source: thedebrief.org
Title: Smith, took off from Boise, Idaho, at just after 9:00 pm
Link:https://thedebrief.org/summer-of-the-saucers/
Source snippet
Summer of the Saucers - The DebriefJune 21, 2022 — UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 105 On July 4th, just eleven days after Kenneth Arnold’s sighti...
Published: June 21, 2022
10.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSY6NB6m2PU
Source snippet
This list highlights investigative coverage of pilot credibility in UFO sightings, tracing the historical pattern from the July 1947 wave...
Published: July 1947
11.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlrz84nEXtk
Source snippet
BW - EP129—001: Radio, Roswell And The Flying Saucer Craze—Kenneth Arnold And The...
12.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bretHCA89bQ
Source snippet
The UFO Deluge of July 4th, 1947 | Part 1: Omens (Before the Storm)...
13.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD_AQiW15nI
Source snippet
UFO Sightings: Navy Pilots Share Their Experiences | NOVA | PBS...
14.
Source: youtube.com
Title: UFO Sightings: Navy Pilots Share Their Experiences | NOVA | PBS
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UP3c5UhlC8
Source snippet
WATCH: Navy pilot describes encounter with 'Tic Tac' shaped unidentified flying object...
15.
Source: theparacast.com
Title: [Arnold Sighting]({{ ‘arnold-sighting/’ | relative_url }})
Link:https://www.theparacast.com/forum/threads/arnold-sighting-mistaken-identification.15371/
Source snippet
The Paracast Community ForumsAugust 22, 2014 — CONSTANCE PARANORMAL ADEPT * Aug 24, 2014 * * * #20 UAL Flight 105 - July 4, 1947 Probab...
Published: August 22, 2014
16.
Source: nicap.org
Link:https://www.nicap.org/chronos/1947fullrep.htm
Source snippet
1947 ChronologyDecember 14, 2005 — ` The 1947 UFO Sighting Wave A Comprehensive Chronological Summary of the Period Image The Rhodes Phot...
Published: December 14, 2005