Within Flight 105
What Evidence Exists for Flight 105
The case remains debated because strong witness accounts exist alongside missing physical evidence and uncertain object identification.
On this page
- Reported observations and missing records
- Conventional explanations considered
- Why the case remains unidentified
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Introduction
The Flight 105 sighting remains debated because the available evidence is unusually strong for an unidentified observation but weak for proving what the objects actually were. On 4 July 1947, United Air Lines Captain Emil J. Smith, First Officer Ralph Stevens, and stewardess Marty Morrow reported seeing several disc-like objects after take-off from Boise, Idaho. Their professional aviation experience, multiple-witness testimony, and extended observation period made the case more influential than many contemporary reports. However, the lack of physical evidence, radar confirmation, photographs, or a surviving technical record means that the case remains an identification problem rather than a confirmed explanation.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…
The central question surrounding Flight 105 is therefore not whether the crew saw something unusual, but whether the unusual appearance can be explained by ordinary causes. Investigators have considered aircraft, balloons, birds, atmospheric effects, optical illusion, and the influence of the intense 1947 “flying saucer” publicity. Supporters of the case argue that the witnesses were capable observers who rejected conventional explanations after examining the objects closely. Critics argue that even reliable witnesses can misidentify distant objects under unusual lighting and perception conditions.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
What Evidence Exists for Flight 105
Reported observations and missing records
The strongest evidence for Flight 105 comes from the consistency and quality of the witness reports. Stevens first noticed objects that appeared to be another aircraft and reportedly used the DC-3’s landing lights in an attempt to signal them. After closer observation, Smith and Stevens concluded they could not identify normal aircraft features such as wings or tails. They described multiple objects, including a larger object among a group, moving in formation and later disappearing before another group was seen.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…
The sighting also included an independent witness inside the aircraft. Smith called stewardess Marty Morrow to the cockpit, where she reportedly observed the same objects. This gave the case a level of corroboration that was unusual among early UFO reports. The observers were not simply repeating a rumour or interpreting a single brief flash of light; they were attempting to identify objects during an extended aviation observation.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…
However, the evidence record has important gaps. No photographs were taken, no recovered material was associated with the sighting, and no independent aircraft, radar, or ground observer confirmed the objects. The crew attempted to communicate the observation through aviation channels, but the available record does not provide external confirmation of the objects’ identity or behaviour. This absence of physical and instrumental evidence is the main limitation when assessing the case today.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…
The surviving documentation is also shaped by later investigation rather than a complete original evidence package. UFO researchers preserved accounts from Smith and other sources, while later official UFO programmes assessed similar reports using broader categories of explanation. This means the case is largely evaluated through testimony and retrospective analysis rather than a complete contemporaneous investigation file.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…
Which Conventional Explanations Were Considered?
The main conventional explanations for Flight 105 focus on misidentification rather than deliberate error or fabrication. The Air Force’s broader evaluation of UFO reports in the early investigation period emphasised that many sightings could result from ordinary objects viewed under unusual conditions, including aircraft, balloons, birds, or perceptual effects. The Flight 105 case has often been discussed within this framework because the observation occurred during twilight, a period when judging distance, size, and movement can be difficult.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
One possibility is that the crew observed conventional aircraft at a distance. A pilot’s ability to recognise aircraft is normally a strength, but distant objects viewed against the sky can lose identifying features. Without instruments such as radar, even trained observers may have difficulty estimating speed, size, and range. A small object nearby can appear large, while a distant aircraft can appear unusual if lighting conditions obscure its structure.
Another possibility is that the objects were balloons or other airborne objects. The late 1940s saw increasing public attention to unusual objects in the sky, and official investigators considered balloons among common sources of mistaken UFO reports. The challenge for this explanation is that Smith and Stevens believed the objects displayed organised movement and formation changes inconsistent with what they expected from balloons. Whether those impressions accurately reflected the objects’ behaviour cannot now be independently verified.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
A further explanation is perceptual influence. The sighting occurred shortly after Kenneth Arnold’s widely reported June 1947 observation, which helped create the “flying saucer” phenomenon and generated a surge of reports. Investigators later suggested that public awareness of saucer reports could influence how ambiguous objects were interpreted. Supporters of Flight 105 respond that Smith had initially been sceptical of saucer reports and that his aviation background made him less likely to accept an unusual explanation without careful observation.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…
Why the Case Remains Unidentified
Flight 105 remains unresolved because the evidence sits between two difficult positions. The witnesses were credible enough that dismissing the entire event as a simple invention is difficult, but credibility alone cannot determine the nature of an observed object. A trained pilot can accurately report that an object was present while still being unable to identify it.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…
The case is also limited by what investigators did not obtain. A modern investigation would ideally combine eyewitness accounts with radar data, photographs, flight records, atmospheric information, and independent observations. Flight 105 lacks most of these sources, leaving researchers dependent on human perception and memory. This creates uncertainty even when the observers themselves appear reliable.
Supporters of an unidentified interpretation point to the combination of factors: several witnesses, aviation expertise, a reported duration of around ten minutes or more, and the claim that the objects did not resemble known aircraft. James E. McDonald, who studied the case decades later, considered it significant because of the witnesses’ experience and the circumstances of the observation.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…
Sceptical interpretations focus on the same evidence from a different angle. The absence of physical traces, independent confirmation, or measurable flight data means the case cannot demonstrate extraordinary technology or a non-conventional origin. The official Air Force position after decades of UFO investigations was that unidentified reports did not provide evidence of extraterrestrial vehicles or technology beyond known science.[Air Force]af.milOpen source on af.mil.
The lasting importance of Flight 105 is therefore methodological: it demonstrates the difference between an unexplained observation and an unexplained object. The record strongly supports that the crew experienced something they could not identify, but the surviving evidence does not conclusively establish whether the explanation was an overlooked conventional phenomenon or something genuinely unknown.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…
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Endnotes
1.
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
2.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Flight 105 UFO sighting
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_105_UFO_sighting
3.
Source: project1947.com
Link:https://project1947.com/fig/1952a.htm
4.
Source: project1947.com
Link:https://www.project1947.com/fig/1948air.htm
5.
Source: project1947.com
Link:https://www.project1947.com/fig/projsauc.htm
6.
Source: af.mil
Link:https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104590/unidentified-flying-objects-and-air-force-project-blue-book/
7.
Source: arewealoneinthisuniverse.fandom.com
Title: Flight 105 UFO sighting
Link:https://arewealoneinthisuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Flight_105_UFO_sighting
Additional References
8.
Source: archives.gov
Link:https://www.archives.gov/news/articles/project-blue-book-50th-anniversary
Source snippet
December 5, 2019 — PUBLIC INTEREST IN UFOS PERSISTS 50 YEARS AFTER PROJECT BLUE BOOK TERMINATION By Jonathan Marker | National Archives N...
Published: December 5, 2019
9.
Source: spacedoutclassroom.com
Link:https://spacedoutclassroom.com/
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Written later in 1956, Air Force officer Edward J. Ruppelt stated “the whole Maury Island Mystery was a hoax. The first, possibly...
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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
11.
Source: prologue.blogs.archives.gov
Title: ufos natural explanations
Link:https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2018/04/16/ufos-natural-explanations/
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archives.govUFOs: Natural Explanations – Pieces of HistoryApril 16, 2018 — UFOS: NATURAL EXPLANATIONS April 16, 2018June 3, 2019 by Jessi...
Published: April 16, 2018
12.
Source: youtube.com
Title: The Flight 105 UFO Sighting | Marks Unexplained World Podcast (Ep. 164)
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOibDFiPJhQ
Source snippet
United Airlines Flight 105 UFO 1947 The 1947 United Airlines Flight UFO Sighting Street of Silence...
13.
Source: history.navy.mil
Title: mil U-2s, UFOs, and Operation Blue Book
Link:https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/u/u2s-ufos-and-operation-blue-book.html
Source snippet
Pendlow and Donald E. Welzenbach. The CIA and the U-2 Program, 1954-1974. Central Intelligence Agency, 19...
14.
Source: spacedoutclassroom.com
Title: the 1947 ufo craze
Link:https://spacedoutclassroom.com/2022/08/28/the-1947-ufo-craze/
Source snippet
Written later in 1956, Air Force officer Edward J. Ruppelt stated “the whole Maury Island Mystery was a hoax. The first, possibly...
15.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYmvf-KknTQ
Source snippet
The Flight 105 UFO Sighting | Marks Unexplained World Podcast (Ep. 164)...
16.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Days Before Roswell: The Flight 105 UFO Sighting
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bone4IcFKAI
Source snippet
United Airlines Crew Encounters MYSTERIOUS UFO on July 4th 1947...
17.
Source: ufosightingsdaily.com
Link:https://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/p/pilot-sightings-49.html