# August 4, 1947 — Bethel, AK — Smooth Black Object Crosses Path of DC-3

**URL:** <https://uapdiscovery.discourse.group/t/august-4-1947-bethel-ak-smooth-black-object-crosses-path-of-dc-3/284>\
**Category:** Blue Book Unknowns\
**Created:** [August 4, 2025, 12:06am UTC](https://uapdiscovery.discourse.group/t/august-4-1947-bethel-ak-smooth-black-object-crosses-path-of-dc-3/284 "2025-08-04T00:06:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jeffknox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@jeffknox](https://uapdiscovery.discourse.group/u/jeffknox)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 12:06am UTC](https://uapdiscovery.discourse.group/t/august-4-1947-bethel-ak-smooth-black-object-crosses-path-of-dc-3/284/1 "2025-08-04T00:06:41Z")

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![Jack Peck](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/2/2fc599b9a2e68c3a4b0a702774cd8677ec8eb8d6.png)

August 4, 1947 — Bethel, AK  
Pilots Capt. Jack Peck and Vince Daly see a smooth UFO northwest of Bethel, Alaska, dead ahead as they are flying a DC-3 for Al Jones Flying Service. Peck hauls back on his controls to bring his plane up to safer altitude. Now 1,000 feet higher, the pilots glance downward and spot the UFO closer but on a changed course. Still dark against the sky, it looks to be as large as a C-54. Intrigued, Peck dives on the object as it pulls away, doing his best to get a better view, but it speeds up to an estimated 500 mph and is lost to view in four minutes. [Eberhart]

Record Card:

 ![08041947-BethelAK-BB-RecordCard](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/0/0ca8a9512fe1992b84019622bba9068aca4e84c2.jpeg)

Harold Johnston (OIC) Letter:

 ![08041947-BethelAK-BB-WilliamJTurnerCoverForJohnstonLetter](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/5/50d4d4d935d290fb1d58c324f78c70bb5bd1df16.jpeg)

 ![08041947-BethelAK-BB-HaroldJohnstonLetter](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/7/7225203a19ab13279734fa718905c35cfed1ddf2.jpeg)

Incident 58 Checklist / Summary:

 ![08041947-BethelAK-BB-Incident58-Checklist-1](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/3/3e094dc4c377b21fce1bd98ea8cb6c89cbfe0e2b.jpeg)

 ![08041947-BethelAK-BB-Incident58-Checklist-2](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/6/606a093b3b1c6d97d30e476e880a689c1eaf3466.jpeg) ![08041947-BethelAK-BB-Incident58-Summary-1](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/e/ec29dda4bf2e381836e9e44ea2cd60ccfc26c174.jpeg) ![08041947-BethelAK-BB-Incident58-Summary-2](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/4/43de237424c9bc4d576c5c20acbdfb723e8f82cd.jpeg)

Additional detail provided by Peck:

 ![08041947-BethelAK-BB-AdditionalDetailsFromRAllenShowalterToRegionalWeatherBureauOffice](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/d/d446e7773cb0ed4268a6d65c43be0ce4dba1f6dc.jpeg)

Sources:  
Brad Sparks, Blue Books Unknowns Catalogue, Case 44, p. 25;

 ![08041947-BethelAK-Sparks-Case44-p25](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/b/b2e087f8ec483af53751415d1bcc6bb3a5b3e9d1.png)

Loren E. Gross, UFOs, a History: Volume 1, 1947, The Author, February 1991, pp. 57-58;

 ![08041947-BethelAK-Gross-p57](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/0/0216aeb284831c83f1e87617cef72e31890cd84d.png)

 ![08041947-BethelAK-Gross-p58](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/e/ee5e1ffd57cf0593044b84596fbf32ff01215dfc.png)

Harold D. Johnston, “Matters of National Interest,” August 5, 1947;

> **[PROJECT 1947 - Bethel, Alaska, 1947](https://www.project1947.com/fig/bethel.htm)**

NICAP, “Smooth Black Object Crosses Path of DC-3”;

 ![08041947-BethelAK-NICAPWebsite](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/3/3d1e47c6abb93c0a8dbf3e5d5c3ca8241577a83e.png)

> **[UFO Report](http://www.nicap.org/470804bethel_dir.htm)**

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**Author:** ![jeffknox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@jeffknox](https://uapdiscovery.discourse.group/u/jeffknox)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 9:55pm UTC](https://uapdiscovery.discourse.group/t/august-4-1947-bethel-ak-smooth-black-object-crosses-path-of-dc-3/284/2 "2026-08-03T21:55:04Z")

</div>

[PURSUE release, pp. 125–126;]

 ![08041947-BethelAK-SIGN-Incident58-p1](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/7/7d117352c33a3590ff5f50cefc0c88b29945c1f3.jpeg)

 ![08041947-BethelAK-SIGN-Incident58-p2](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/a/a1ba206e3f5d0fdb8655638c2510f99dba538e93.jpeg)

[https://www.war.gov/medialink/ufo/release\_1/38\_143685\_box7\_incident\_summaries\_1-100.pdf](https://www.war.gov/medialink/ufo/release_1/38_143685_box7_incident_summaries_1-100.pdf)

[PURSUE release, pp. 180–183;]

 ![08041947-BethelAK-65_hs1-834228961_62-hq-83894_section_2-p180](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/5/5f0885398d15b4bcdf6f0a0659e9a05e05ee60ac.jpeg)

 ![08041947-BethelAK-65_hs1-834228961_62-hq-83894_section_2-p182](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/7/7bf605691a17bd37c4a284082df82dc0f4db380a.jpeg)

 ![08041947-BethelAK-65_hs1-834228961_62-hq-83894_section_2-p183](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/5/52bc33306762ea0d6f5643f319db84caa577d7c1.jpeg)

[https://www.war.gov/medialink/ufo/release\_1/65\_hs1-834228961\_62-hq-83894\_section\_2.pdf](https://www.war.gov/medialink/ufo/release_1/65_hs1-834228961_62-hq-83894_section_2.pdf)

[PURSUE release, pp. 166–167];

 ![08041947-BethelAK-SIGN-Incident58-ALT-p1](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/8/8c142563cf0e1107b0750bbc444c24f8a7852952.jpeg)

 ![08041947-BethelAK-SIGN-Incident58-ALT-p2](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/0/002bf4c2580e8317d6c75105946ca8e9d0d033c3.jpeg)

[https://www.war.gov/medialink/ufo/061226/release\_03/documents/DOW-UAP-D087\_US-AirForce\_Analysis-of-Flying-Objects-in-the-US\_1-100.pdf](https://www.war.gov/medialink/ufo/061226/release_03/documents/DOW-UAP-D087_US-AirForce_Analysis-of-Flying-Objects-in-the-US_1-100.pdf)

Harold D. Johnston, “Matters of National Interest,” August 5, 1947; memo from FBI Anchorage to FBI Director, “Report of Flying Discs,” October 18, 1947 [PURSUE release, pp. 5–6];

 ![08041947-BethelAK-Memorandum_SAC_Anchorage_to_Director_1947_10_18_1](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/6/67a9e2fe03cfe3248dbc3c8d9c1990b73cdd07ea.jpeg)

 ![08041947-BethelAK-Memorandum_SAC_Anchorage_to_Director_1947_10_18_2](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/2X/a/a7d15d67d131cbe04ddcfba6d80f64372b9ba886.jpeg)

[https://www.war.gov/medialink/ufo/release\_1/65\_hs1-834228961\_62-hq-83894\_section\_4.pdf](https://www.war.gov/medialink/ufo/release_1/65_hs1-834228961_62-hq-83894_section_4.pdf)