Project Blue Book: The Thomas Mantell Case — 7 January 1948

On January 7, 1948, 25-year-old Captain Thomas F. Mantell, a Kentucky Air National Guard pilot, died in the crash of his P-51 Mustang fighter plane near Franklin, Kentucky, United States, after being sent in pursuit of an unidentified flying object (UFO). The event was among the most publicized early UFO incidents.

The case was documented heavily within the Project Blue Book files. That case file is below, along with the extensive array of photographs at the crash site.

Document Archive

Project Blue Book: The Thomas Mantell Case — 7 January 1948 [92 Pages, 15MB]

Continue scrolling for more...
Follow The Black Vault on Social Media:

This post was published on February 1, 2022 1:22 pm

John Greenewald

Recent Posts

The Robert F. Kennedy Assassination Records Archive

In January 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14176, titled "Declassification of Records…

April 28, 2025

FOIA Release Reveals Secret Charter Behind Creation of Pentagon’s UAP Task Force

Nearly five years ago, The Black Vault filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request…

April 23, 2025

Lake Erie, Saudi Arabia, and Dugway: Army Records Trace UAP Surveillance Footprint

A newly released set of U.S. Army intelligence records offers a rare glimpse into behind-the-scenes…

April 22, 2025

DOD Polygraph Institute 1999 Audiovisual Training Archive

In 1999, the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoDPI) released a bibliography of audiovisual training…

April 8, 2025

J.F.K. Assassination Records Archive – Previously Withheld JFK Assassination Documents Database

Background The assassination of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, is…

April 7, 2025

The Pentagon Says AATIP Wasn’t About UFOs—But the Man Slated to Take It Over Ended Up Designing the Government’s UAP Strategy

A newly released batch of documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), reveals…

April 2, 2025