17 July 1957 / T073
The RB-47 electronic-intelligence aircraft encounter
Gulf Coast and south-central U.S. airspace
Witness account
An RB-47 crew reported unusual electronic signals and a bright object during a training flight. The case attracted attention because it appeared to combine visual observations with airborne electronic measurements and reports involving ground radar. Later investigators tried to establish whether these observations consistently represented one source.
Public record
Military documents, crew interviews and technical reconstructions survive. James McDonald’s archival work corrected a widely circulated September date to 17 July 1957. That correction illustrates why an attractive narrative date should be checked against the original flight documentation.