Crew members aboard United Airlines Flight 105 observed two formations of disc-shaped objects flying in loose formation shortly after departing Boise, Idaho. The sighting became one of the first widely publicized airline UFO reports.
On the evening of July 4, 1947, Captain Emil J. Smith, First Officer Ralph Stevens, and stewardess Marty Morrow were flying United Airlines Flight 105 from Boise to Seattle when they observed five bright, disc-shaped objects ahead of their aircraft. Believing they might be conventional aircraft, the crew attempted to close the distance but found the objects maintained separation before accelerating away. Moments later, a second group of four similar objects appeared and repeated the unusual maneuvering. The incident occurred only days after Kenneth Arnold's famous sighting and received widespread international press coverage. Although the military later suggested ordinary aircraft, balloons, birds, or illusion as possible explanations, no definitive identification was established.
| Date: | 1947-07-04 |
| Location: | Near Emmett, Idaho |
| Country: | United States |
| Category: | Commercial Aviation |
| Credibility: | High / Multiple Professional Aircrew |