Tampa, Florida: Army Air Force Crew Observes Ghost Rocket from C-47
On August 1, 1946, an Army Air Force C-47 crew near Tampa, Florida observed a cylindrical object twice the size of a B-29 with luminous portholes — America's own ghost rocket.
Background
On August 1, 1946, an Army Air Force captain was piloting a C-47 cargo plane from Langley Field, Virginia, to MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida. Just northeast of Tampa, flying at 4,000 feet, the pilot, copilot, and flight engineer observed what looked like an incoming meteor. At 1,000 yards, the object turned sideways and crossed the airplane's path. They realized it was twice the size of a B-29 bomber and cylindrical with luminous portholes. A stream of fire issued from the rear. The anomaly — America's very own ghost rocket, so often reported in Sweden and throughout Scandinavia that year — was in view for three minutes.
This sighting was particularly significant as it connected the American UFO wave with the concurrent Scandinavian ghost rocket phenomenon. The experienced military crew provided a detailed description of an object that matched reports from Northern Europe.
Significance
Links the American UFO wave with the Scandinavian ghost rocket phenomenon of 1946.