On 1105 LST 2 July 1954, F-94C aircraft 51-13559 took off on a routine training mission. GCI requested the aircraft to change mission to intercept an unknown aircraft at 10,000 ft. The pilot identified a C-47 aircraft by tail number, and was then requested to check a second unidentified aircraft that was at low altitude and apparently letting down to land at Griffith AFB. The AF account states:
As the pilot started a descent, he noted that the cockpit temperature increased abruptly. The increase in temperature caused the pilot to scan the instruments. The fire warning light was on and the pilot informed the radar observer of this fact. The fire warning light remained on after the throttle was placed in "idle" so the engine was shut down and both crew members ejected successfully.
The aircraft crashed at the "Walesville Intersection," and was destroyed. The aircraft struck a house and an automobile, fatally injuring four persons.
The above account is from the official USAF accident report ("Summary of Circumstances"). There is no Blue Book file because no UFO was involved.
From one point of view this was a tragic accident caused by a false radar return and a faulty cockpit light.
From another point of view it's evidence that an unknown object, presumably an alien spacecraft, used a directed energy weapon against a pursuing jet from Griffiss AFB, leading to the deaths of four innocent people.
The fact that people believe either version could be true appeals to the writer in me.
Update: Here's a CNY UFO sighting from within the last month.
