How Flight 105 Crew Described the Mysterious Objects

Introduction

The Eyewitness testimony and pilot credibility analysis of the E J Smith sighting (1947) centres on what professional aircrew aboard United Air Lines Flight 105 actually reported seeing on the evening of 4 July 1947, and how credible those reports are judged to be. This case stands out in early UFO history because it was among the first high‑profile sightings made not by anonymous ground observers but by trained airline professionals — Captain Emil J. Smith, First Officer Ralph Stevens, and stewardess Marty Morrow — whose combined testimony would be widely relayed in contemporary newspapers and later ufological literature. Analysing their testimony and the assessment of their reliability helps illuminate both why this incident received serious attention at the time and why it remains debated today.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting

Timeline of the Sighting and Testimony

At around 21:04 MST on 4 July 1947, United Air Lines Flight 105, a Douglas DC‑3, departed Boise, Idaho, bound for Pendleton, Oregon. About eight minutes into the flight, as the airliner climbed through twilight conditions, First Officer Stevens sighted what he initially thought could be another aircraft ahead, prompting him to flash the aircraft’s landing lights. Both he and Captain Smith then observed a group of five disc‑shaped objects in loose formation against the dusk sky. The objects were described as “thin and smooth on the bottom” and “rough on top” with one larger than the others; they were visible ahead of the aircraft for ten to fifteen minutes before disappearing. A second formation of four similar objects was reportedly seen subsequently. Smith called stewardess Marty Morrow forward; she corroborated seeing the objects from the cockpit area, even though passengers did not. Attempts at external confirmation via radio — from the tower at Ontario, Oregon, and a nearby United flight — proved unsuccessful.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting

This timeline of the sighting and the observational sequence is consistently presented in both general overviews and case summaries. The extended sighting duration, multiple separate object groups, and third‑party corroboration within the cabin are key elements of the crew’s testimony.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…Published: July 4, 1947

Detailed Crew Descriptions of Object Groups

The core of the eyewitness testimony comes from what Smith, Stevens, and Morrow said they saw and how they described it. In interviews and later retellings:

• Shape and formation: Both groups of objects were reported as wingless, disc‑like shapes without visible tails or wings, arranged in loose formation. The initial group had five objects with one larger than the rest; the second had four.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
• Silhouette against twilight: Observers noted that the objects were silhouetted against the sunset, allowing them to make some surface observations but no definitive size or distance measurements.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
• Behavioural impression: The crew reported that the objects moved in ways not easily explained as conventional aircraft, including changes in formation and apparent rapid departure. Smith later told reporters that they simply “couldn’t say for sure” how to classify the shapes beyond seeing them clearly.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting
• Corroboration by third witness: Morrow’s confirmation was specifically sought as a way to check that the pilots were not misled by a fleeting illusion or single‑observer error.[NICAP]

Pilot Smith highlighted that he and his crew were not speculating about exotic origins and that they lacked precise details — such as exact size or distance — but emphasised that the shapes bore no resemblance to conventional aircraft or known phenomena at the time.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…Published: July 4, 1947

Assessing Pilot and Crew Credibility

Professional Experience and Observational Skill

One reason this sighting carried more weight than many contemporaneous reports was who the witnesses were. Professional pilots are often assumed to be reliable observers because flight training emphasises situational awareness, identification of other aircraft, and interpretation of visual cues in three‑dimensional airspace. Contemporary coverage repeatedly pointed to the fact that Smith and Stevens had aviation experience that most civilian witnesses did not possess, and this impressed both reporters and some later researchers.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting

Dr. James E. McDonald, an atmospheric physicist who later cited this case in congressional hearings, emphasised that the clear weather conditions, duration of observation, and multiple experienced observers made this sighting notably more credible than the mass of brief anthology reports circulating at the same time.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…Published: July 4, 1947

Internal Consistency and Third‑Party Corroboration

The agreement between the two pilots and the stewardess adds weight to the testimony, as does the consistency in how they described the sequences of sightings and the objects’ appearance. This internal corroboration reduces the likelihood that a single observer misperceived a conventional object. Moreover, news accounts noted that Smith’s comments to reporters were cautious: he refrained from concluding what the objects were, emphasising uncertainty about exact shape or distance rather than offering fanciful interpretations.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting

Constraints and Limits of Testimony

Notwithstanding the credibility tied to professional status, there are important limits to what visual testimony alone can establish. Even experienced pilots are subject to perceptual illusions, particularly in low‑light conditions and with minimal reference points for size and distance — factors very much present at dusk over open terrain. Smith himself later stressed that he did not claim knowledge of the objects’ true nature or origins.[Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith…Published: July 4, 1947

The absence of independent ground confirmation or radar data leaves the observed phenomena based solely on human perception. This inherently introduces uncertainty, as optical ambiguities, angle of view, and atmospheric effects can influence eyewitness accounts, even those from trained observers. Official assessments at the time noted that conditions at sunset could produce illusory effects and that conventional explanations could not be fully ruled out.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting

Role of Corroborating Witnesses and Public Reception

Morrow’s sighting as a corroborating witness was explicitly included in contemporary reporting and in subsequent case files — a significant factor in how the sighting was publicised. The reported agreement among multiple crew members contributed to widespread media coverage and a presumption among some that this was not a mere misidentification. Newspapers emphasised that these were experienced and credible aircrew, and the story was quickly syndicated nationally and internationally.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting

However, the inability of ground observers or other aircraft contacted by radio to see the same objects highlights a common limitation in UFO eyewitness cases: corroboration beyond the primary witnesses is absent. The public response at the time tended to lean on the authority of pilots as “credible witnesses,” but later analyses and official reports stressed that even credible eyewitnesses can misinterpret unfamiliar stimuli under certain conditions.[Wikipedia]WikipediaFlight 105 UFO sightingFlight 105 UFO sighting

Summary: Weighing Testimony Against Explanation

The E J Smith sighting remains a key case in UFO history largely because of the firsthand testimony from professional aircrew who described unusual aerial phenomena. Their accounts, corroborated within the flight crew and widely reported, gave the incident a degree of perceived credibility that many other 1947 reports lacked. At the same time, the testimony did not include definitive physical measurements or independent verification, and contemporaneous official assessments emphasised the potential for optical illusion or misidentification given the conditions. This tension — credible witnesses providing cautious but compelling observations, met by careful scepticism from investigators — defines both the value and the limits of eyewitness testimony in this case.[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/fig/ual105.htm
   Source snippet

   Project 1947PROJECT 1947: UAL Flight 105, July 4, 1947 - Capt E. J. Smith...

   Published: July 4, 1947

3. Source: nicap.org
   Title: 470704emmett e
   Link: https://www.nicap.org/reports/470704emmett_e.htm
   Source snippet

   NICAP470704e...

4. Source: project1947.com
   Link: https://www.project1947.com/articles/flying750.htm
   Source snippet

   July, 1950The light from the object was so brilliant, indeed, that it caused “lightning blindness” to both pilots. They had to turn up th...

5. Source: project1947.com
   Link: https://project1947.com/fig/1950a.htm
   Source snippet

   He did not, however, see any form of a ship. The light from the object was so brilliant, indeed, that it caused "lightning blindnes...

6. Source: douglasdc3.com
   Title: dc3ufo* * * AIRLINE CREW REPORTS WINGLESS DISCS Boise, Idaho
   Link: https://www.douglasdc3.com/dc3ufo/dc3ufo.htm
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   Rainier sighting by private pilot Kenneth Arnold, a United Air Lines DC-3 crew sighted t...

7. Source: nicap.org
   Title: UF O Report
   Link: https://www.nicap.org/Good_Cases/470704emmett_dir.htm
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   UFO ReportJuly 4, 1947 — Category 11 Case Directory SIGHTINGS FROM AIRCRAFT Preliminary Rating: 5 | | Image AVCAT is a special project be...

   Published: July 4, 1947

8. Source: ufo-folkore.fandom.com
   Title: E.J. Smith
   Link: https://ufo-folkore.fandom.com/wiki/E.J._Smith
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   Smith | UFO Folkore Wiki | FandomE.J. SMITH Sign in to edit * History * Purge * Talk (0) * United Airlines Capt. E. J. Smith had aerial s...

Additional References

1. Source: thinkaboutitdocs.com
   Title: 1947 united airlines flight 105 pilots witness disc shaped objects
   Link: https://www.thinkaboutitdocs.com/1947-united-airlines-flight-105-pilots-witness-disc-shaped-objects/
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   1947: United Airlines Flight 105 pilots witness disc-shaped objects – Think AboutIts1947: UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 105 PILOTS WITNESS DISC...

2. Source: arewealoneinthisuniverse.fandom.com
   Title: Flight 105 UFO sighting
   Link: https://arewealoneinthisuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Flight_105_UFO_sighting
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   105 UFO sighting | Are_We_Alone Wiki | FandomFLIGHT 105 UFO SIGHTING Sign In to Save Save Edit * History * Purge * Talk (0) iframe On Jul...

3. Source: youtube.com
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   The "Tic Tac" UFO: Can This Sighting Be Explained? | NOVA | PBS...

   Published: June 1947

4. Source: ufosightingsdaily.com
   Title: Rainier sighting by pr
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   UFO Sightings Daily: Pilot Sightings (49)United Airlines Flight 105 pilots witness formation of disc-shaped objects Date: July 4, 1947 Lo...

   Published: July 4, 1947

5. Source: youtube.com
   Title: The “Tic Tac” UFO: Can This Sighting Be Explained? | NOVA | PBS
   Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQs2NL7hcDA
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   Elite Witness Testimonies! | TOP 25 UFO ENCOUNTERS BY ASTRONAUTS, PILOTS AND MILITARY OFFICIALS...

6. Source: youtube.com
   Title: The First UFO Sighting In America | UFOs: The Lost Evidence
   Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJp-YR34XBs
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   24th June 1947: The first widely-reported UFO sighting was made by private pilot Kenneth Arnold...

   Published: June 1947

7. Source: youtube.com
   Title: Kenneth Arnold and the First UFOs
   Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdXNAOxs6mo
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   The First UFO Sighting In America | UFOs: The Lost Evidence...

8. Source: saturdaynightuforia.com
   Link: https://www.saturdaynightuforia.com/html/articles/articlehtml/airpursuit48.html
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   Smith Above: A July 6, 1947 wire photo of United Airlines pilot E.J. Smith, who along with his copilot and stewardess had witnessed flyin...

   Published: July 6, 1947

9. Source: rr0.org
   Title: Emil J
   Link: https://rr0.org/people/s/SmithEmilJ/
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   SmithMay 4, 2025 — EMIL J. SMITH Image: Emil J. SmithSmith tenant une assiette à l'envers en expliquant à l'hôtesse Marty Morrow quel étr...

   Published: May 4, 2025

10. Source: cufon.org
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    New Page 1July 29, 1968 — Information on some of these, as well as on smaller American groups, can be found in the two important books by...

    Published: July 29, 1968