Caelum Incognitum — The interactive encyclopedia of ufology
Thomas Mantell (1914-1948)
People
Kentucky Air National Guard captain and P-51 pilot, killed on 7 January 1948 while chasing a bright object spotted from Godman base. The US Air Force first proposed Venus, then the Navy’s Skyhook balloon. He is one of the first deaths linked to a UFO chase and a textbook case of chasing a high-altitude balloon.