#thomasfmantell

THE SKY WHERE MANTELL FELL - Franklin, Kentucky. On the afternoon of January 7th, 1948, students and teachers standing in front of the Lake Spring Community School - located here at Steele Road and Lake Spring Road - looked in this direction and observed a single-prop airplane spiral out of the sky, explode into pieces in mid-air, and fall in a fiery crash onto the Phillips Farm on Witt Road, just beyond the center tree line. The plane was an F-51D Mustang piloted by Franklin-born Captain Thomas F. Mantell, Jr. (C Flight, 165th Fighter Squadron Kentucky Air National Guard) and had just had a high-altitude engagement with a large, silvery Unidentified Flying Object that was tracked traversing the Kentucky skies. Although the unexplained accident was a likely result of misidentification and a lack of oxygen, the deadly “Mantell Encounter” still remains a true mystery and a famous case in the annals of UFO history and lore. Not far from this spot, a historical monument commemorating the event stands as a tribute to Captain Mantell. Mantell spent only two days of his life in Franklin - the day of his birth and the day of his encounter with The Unknown. Photo by Michael Huntington - May, 2015. @Huntington_Strange_Travels #StrangeTravels #MichaelHuntington #HuntingtonFamily #HuntingtonAdventures #UFOTravel #ThomasFMantell #MantellUFOEncounter #1948MantellCrash #UFO #UFOs #UFOHistory #FamousUFOCase #UFOMarker #LakeSpringBaptistChurch #LakeSpringSchoolFranklinKentucky #FranklinKentucky (at Franklin, Kentucky) https://www.instagram.com/p/BukWClvlkqK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

DEADLY ENCOUNTER: THE MANTELL UFO INCIDENT - On January 7th, 1948, following a flurry of reports, an unknown round, silvery UFO was tracked (and observed) by Fort Knox’s Godman Field as it traversed the clear blue skies above the state of Kentucky. Flying nearby, National Guard pilot Captain Thomas F. Mantell, Jr. and his squadron of four F-51D Mustangs (C Flight, 165th Fighter Squadron Kentucky Air National Guard) were ordered to investigate the high-altitude bogie. Pursuing the object, squadron planes soon peeled off from the chase, one-by-one, as they began to run out of fuel and altitude. The plane to get closest to the mysterious object, Mantell’s plane, was later found crashed on a rural farm in Franklin, Kentucky after it had broken up in mid-air. The subsequent media frenzy surrounding this deadly encounter (the popular media already having been in the midst of the “Flying Saucer Craze”) propelled the “Mantell Encounter” into the popular culture and UFO Lore. Official Air Force Investigations concluded that the tragedy was most likely the result of Mantell having blacked out while chasing a balloon or Venus. Many find this interpretation to be laughable and suggest a more hostile encounter with a malevolent craft of Other-Worldy Origin. What really happened to Captain Mantell on this day remains a classic Mystery in UFO History that will, most likely, never be solved. In an odd coincidence, Mantell died in the same town as his birth. An historical marker stands in Franklin to commemorate this tragic event in which a pilot died while chasing a UFO. Graphic by Michael Huntington - January, 2018. @Huntington_Strange_Travels #StrangeTravels #MichaelHuntington #ThomasFMantell #MantellUFOEncounter #1948MantellCrash #UFO #UFOs #UFOHistory #UFOLore #FamousUFOCase #ProjectBlueBook #BadUFOEncounter #DeadlyUFOEncounter #FranklinKentucky https://www.instagram.com/p/BdqxV7dACBJ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

MANTELL UFO CHASE CRASH SITE - Franklin, Kentucky. At the center of the photo, between the pole and the fence, is where Kentucky Air National Guard pilot and war veteran Captain Thomas F. Mantell’s F-51D Mustang (C Flight, 165th Fighter Squadron - KANG) fighter plane crashed on January 7th, 1948 after Mantell lost consciousness during a sanctioned high-altitude chase of a silvery UFO seen traversing the Kentucky skies that day. He died here on impact at 3:18 p.m. - the time at which his watch had stopped. Air Force investigators subsequently claimed that Mantell most likely crashed because he got confused by Venus and then blacked out from lack of air. Some have contended that he had an encounter with a malevolent Alien Craft and he was shot down/zapped. Now a classic case in UFO Lore, an historical marker stands in Franklin to commemorate this tragic event. Photo by Michael Huntington - March, 2019. @Huntington_Strange_Travels #StrangeTravels #MichaelHuntington #ThomasFMantell #MantellUFOEncounter #MantellUFO #1948MantellCrash #MantellCrashSite #MantellMarker #UFO #UFOs #UFOHistory #UFOLore #FamousUFOCase #ProjectBlueBook #BadUFOEncounter #DeadlyUFOEncounter #FranklinKentucky (at Franklin, Kentucky) https://www.instagram.com/p/CR7zOWnM2IK/?utm_medium=tumblr

WHERE MANTELL CRASHED - Franklin, Kentucky. The ground where Mantell’s plane came to rest. On January 7th, 1948, following a flurry of reports, a large, silver-orange UFO was tracked by Fort Knox’s Godman Field as it travelled across the clear blue skies above the state of Kentucky. Flying nearby, National Guard pilot Captain Thomas F. Mantell, Jr. and his squadron of four F-51D Mustangs (C Flight, 165th Fighter Squadron Kentucky Air National Guard) were ordered to investigate the high-altitude unknown object. Due to lack of fuel and increasing altitude, the planes gave up their pursuit, except for Captain Mantell, who described closing in on a large metallic object. Then silence. Then reports of his plane having crashed here on this farm. Air Force investigators subsequently claim that Mantell crashed because he got confused by Venus and then blacked out. Others believe he had an encounter with a malevolent Alien Craft. This mysterious case is now a classic in UFO Lore. What really happened to Captain Mantell to cause his plane to crash here remains a classic Mystery in UFO History that will, most likely, never be solved. In an odd coincidence, Mantell died in the same town as his birth. An historical marker stands in Franklin to commemorate this tragic event in which a pilot died while chasing a UFO. Photo by Michael Huntington - March, 2019. @Huntington_Strange_Travels #StrangeTravels #MichaelHuntington #ThomasFMantell #MantellUFOEncounter #MantellUFO #1948MantellCrash #MantellCrashSite #MantellMarker #UFO #UFOs #UFOHistory #UFOLore #FamousUFOCase #ProjectBlueBook #BadUFOEncounter #DeadlyUFOEncounter #FranklinKentucky (at Franklin, Kentucky) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7CO5V_lt8k/?igshid=uy7viqu42bqp

WHERE MANTELL CRASHED - Franklin, Kentucky. The ground where Mantell’s plane came to rest. On January 7th, 1948, following a flurry of reports, a large, silver-orange UFO was tracked by Fort Knox’s Godman Field as it travelled across the clear blue skies above the state of Kentucky. Flying nearby, National Guard pilot Captain Thomas F. Mantell, Jr. and his squadron of four F-51D Mustangs (C Flight, 165th Fighter Squadron Kentucky Air National Guard) were ordered to investigate the high-altitude unknown object. Due to lack of fuel and increasing altitude, the planes gave up their pursuit, except for Captain Mantell, who described closing in on a large metallic object. Then silence. Then reports of his plane having crashed here on this farm. Air Force investigators subsequently claim that Mantell crashed because he got confused by Venus and then blacked out. Others believe he had an encounter with a malevolent Alien Craft. This mysterious case is now a classic in UFO Lore. What really happened to Captain Mantell to cause his plane to crash here remains a classic Mystery in UFO History that will, most likely, never be solved. In an odd coincidence, Mantell died in the same town as his birth. An historical marker stands in Franklin to commemorate this tragic event in which a pilot died while chasing a UFO. Photo by Michael Huntington - March, 2019. @Huntington_Strange_Travels #StrangeTravels #MichaelHuntington #ThomasFMantell #MantellUFOEncounter #MantellUFO #1948MantellCrash #MantellCrashSite #MantellMarker #UFO #UFOs #UFOHistory #UFOLore #FamousUFOCase #ProjectBlueBook #BadUFOEncounter #DeadlyUFOEncounter #FranklinKentucky (at Franklin, Kentucky) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvc2jvmFjdY/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=xb1qxk3iitef

DEADLY ENCOUNTER: THE MANTELL UFO INCIDENT - On January 7th, 1948, following a flurry of reports, an unknown round, silvery UFO was tracked (and observed) by Fort Knox’s Godman Field as it traversed the clear blue skies above the state of Kentucky. Flying nearby, National Guard pilot Captain Thomas F. Mantell, Jr. and his squadron of four F-51D Mustangs (C Flight, 165th Fighter Squadron Kentucky Air National Guard) were ordered to investigate the high-altitude bogie. Pursuing the object, squadron planes soon peeled off from the chase, one-by-one, as they began to run out of fuel and altitude. The plane to get closest to the mysterious object, Mantell’s plane, was later found crashed on a rural farm in Franklin, Kentucky after it had broken up in mid-air. The subsequent media frenzy surrounding this deadly encounter (the popular media already having been in the midst of the “Flying Saucer Craze”) propelled the “Mantell Encounter” into the popular culture and UFO Lore. Official Air Force Investigations concluded that the tragedy was most likely the result of Mantell having blacked out while chasing a balloon or Venus. Many find this interpretation to be laughable and suggest a more hostile encounter with a malevolent craft of Other-Worldy Origin. What really happened to Captain Mantell on this day remains a classic Mystery in UFO History that will, most likely, never be solved. In an odd coincidence, Mantell died in the same town as his birth. An historical marker stands in Franklin to commemorate this tragic event in which a pilot died while chasing a UFO. Graphic by Michael Huntington - January, 2018. @Huntington_Strange_Travels #StrangeTravels #MichaelHuntington #ThomasFMantell #MantellUFOEncounter #1948MantellCrash #UFO #UFOs #UFOHistory #UFOLore #FamousUFOCase #ProjectBlueBook #BadUFOEncounter #DeadlyUFOEncounter #FranklinKentucky https://www.instagram.com/p/BdqxV7dACBJ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=lxlu4zd3eyj7

GOLDEN FORTRESS: THE FORT KNOX DEPOSITORY (AND A UFO TIDBIT) - Built in 1936 to store America's gold reserves, the United States Bullion Depository - at Fort Knox, Kentucky - is one of the most guarded and secured places of wealth on the planet. Over $180 billion dollars worth of gold is housed in a massive vault which is constantly watched by a special unit of the U.S. Mint Police. The Depository's bunker-like facility is surrounded by electrified fences, barbed-wire, and explosive landmines. Cameras and sensors are everywhere. Located at the Fort Knox Army Base, the Depository (commonly-called "Fort Knox") also benefits from the additional security of having an army of 30,000 soldiers with guns, tanks, and helicopters available to help protect America's Treasure. As there have been no visitors since the early 1970s, some Conspiracy Theorists-Induced Urban Legends contend that the gold has long-since been spent and that the vault is empty - or, that, what is really housed there are captured alien artifacts and beings. We will have to take our Government's word on what is really there. (UFO TIDBIT: On January 7, 1948 - Godman Airfield Tower, at Fort Knox, tracks and observes a UFO traveling SW across Kentucky. An overflying flight of Kentucky Guard F-51D Mustangs is diverted to investigate. The pilot to get closest to the UFO, Cpt. Thomas F. Mantell, is later found crashed in Franklin, Kentucky.) Photo by Michael Huntington - September, 2017 @Huntington_Strange_Travels #StrangeTravels #MichaelHuntington #HuntingtonFamily #HuntingtonAdventures #USBullionDepository #FortKnox #GoldReserves #ThomasFMantell #MantellUFOEncounter #1948MantellCrash #UFO #UFOs #UFOHistory #FamousUFOCase #GodmanField #FortKnoxKentucky (at United States Bullion Depository)