UFO sighted by F-89 pilot near Montana

Summary

A pilot flying an F-89 at 40,000 feet reported a luminous object with a dark tail during an aerial maneuver in December 1957. The object appeared as a golden ball of light with a dark streak extending 20 to 25 miles, similar to the exhaust of an F-86. The pilot noticed the object during a turn from 270 to 180 degrees and noted that it maintained the same speed as his aircraft, approximately 0.75 Mach. The object remained visible for 10 minutes before disappearing. The investigation concluded it was likely a reflection of sunlight off the pilot's aircraft combined with a shadow cast on the contrail, which would explain the object's appearance.

The high altitude haze and weather conditions contributed to the visual confusion, and the pilot mentioned that his inverter system malfunctioned around the time of the sighting. Although other observers saw the F-89's contrails, no one else reported seeing the object. The combination of weather conditions, lack of visible shadow, and the object's trajectory led investigators to rule out conventional explanations and suggest an optical illusion as the most plausible cause.