UFO Case Directory: (SIGHTINGS FROM AIRCRAFT): “The Bethune Encounter February 9, 1951 Off Newfoundland, Canada”

Posted: 3 June 2009

Updated: 25 March 2014

(NICAP.org)

The whole UFO case report:

“9:55 pm local Duration Sev mins aircraft R5D Navy C54 Newfoundland, Canada

Military 6-7+ observers No EMI Possible radar contact

Fran Ridge:

Feb. 9, 1951; Off Newfoundland, Canada
(0055 Zulu is Feb. 10th) 9:55 pm local (Feb. 9). A four engine Navy R5D transport was flying west over the Atlantic. On this trip the pilots and navigators were bringing two flight crews home from special duty in Europe. Including his own crew there were over twenty-five pilots, navigators and flight engineers aboard the transport. Bright indefinite object first sighted near ocean surface at 060 relative, then became a ring which had a close encounter with the transport. Object now circular estimated at in excess of 400' diameter, then turned and disappeared over horizon on course 290 at tremendous speed. The National Archives turned up a number of supporting documents on this case, including Air Intelligence Information Reports by five of the crew members. Although it isn't documented, reports indicate the object was tracked by ground radar. Publicly, the Air Force made several attempts to explain the sighting as the aurora borealis (northern lights) or the Moon, but behind the scenes the encounter was; being taken very seriously. The number and quality of UFO sightings in the region in 1950 prompted the government of Iceland to request military aid from the United States. Apparently what we know today as UFOs were interpreted as experimental Soviet bombers. After 50 years of waiting, no craft with this discription [description] or performance has shown up in any Earthly inventory, Russion [Russian] or American. This event, and others like it, prompted the development of the Air Defense Command. (James McDonald’s letter to NICAP shows William D. Bridge was the weather navigator on that flight and mentioned another witness named Abrams. Another witness was Fred Kingdon who says Bethune was a co-pilot on his flight and that the AF investigation team at Argentia classified the incident as Top Secret. Finally, the final testimony of Graham Bethune was written by Robert Durant and is presented below in a doc file.) Major Donald Keyhoe had learned of this hidden report in 1959. Admiral Delmer S. Fahrney, former Navy guided missile chief (whom he had known for years) told him that Captain James Taylor, USN, Ret., had an important UFO sighting made by a naval pilot and his crew. That night Taylor gave him the report.

Richard Hall:

I must say that after reading the BB file, the notion that they saw the moon seems absurd. It is very clear that the object approached from one direction, then (a la Nash-Fortenberry) reversed direction at a very sharp angle and disappeared over the horizon in quite a different position. Quite an ‘illusion!’

Dan Wilson:

In par 10 of Bethune’s report he states that Capt. D.H. Paulson’s written and radar report was not on microfilm (meaning BB files I guess). So there may be a radar report.”

NICAP.org presents U.S. government documents that pertain to the UFO case.

http://www.nicap.org/casework/2014indexes/jan-mar/510210newfoundland_dir.htm

“Map produced 14 May 2009 (Joel Carpenter)” (NICAP.org):

http://www.nicap.org/images/bethune_map_03.jpg

Wikipedia article: “List of Douglas DC-4 variants”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Douglas_DC-4_variants

Related posts:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/2019/10/ufo-paper-estimating-flight.html

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=February+1951

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=1951

U.S. Navy R5D Transport (text by NICAP.org)

(variant: Douglas DC-4 R5D) (nicap.org photo)

Map of Canada (canada-maps.org)

(canada-maps.org image)