Explained
The Death of Captain Mantell
Captain Thomas Mantell of the Kentucky Air National Guard led P-51 Mustangs toward a large, bright object reported over Godman Field. He kept climbing past 25,000 feet without oxygen equipment, likely blacked out, and crashed. Early newspapers suggested he had been shot down by a flying saucer.
Weigh the evidence
The ledger
What the record shows, what people say, and the best explanation available so far.
What's documented
- Mantell's crash and the radio exchanges before it are documented.
- Project Sign investigated.
What's claimed
- Mantell was destroyed by an alien craft.
Best explanation so far
The object was most likely a Navy Skyhook research balloon, then classified, which would have looked huge and metallic in sunlight. Mantell died from hypoxia.
Where to look
Check the sources
Go to the originals. Every link opens the archive or record in a new tab.
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