Skyhook balloon - Mysteries

The Mantell Incident: The Pilot Who Chased a UFO and Never Came Home

November 8, 2026November 6, 2026 by Tommy Hayes

A vintage propeller-driven aircraft under a clear sky, of the kind flown by Captain Thomas Mantell in 1948

About 3 min readOn 7 January 1948, Captain Thomas Mantell climbed after a huge object over Kentucky — and never came down. It was the first UFO case in which someone died.