Report of Aircraft Accident: P-51D 44-63869, 7 January 1948

This document is a comprehensive report on the aircraft accident involving Captain Thomas F. Mantell Jr. on 7 January 1948. Captain Mantell, a pilot with the 165th Fighter Squadron of the Kentucky Air National Guard, was flying a P-51D aircraft when he was requested by Godman Field Control Tower to investigate an unidentified object in the sky. The report details the flight path, the pilot's decision to climb to high altitude without an oxygen mask, and the subsequent loss of control of the aircraft. According to the investigation, Captain Mantell reached an altitude of approximately 25,000 feet, where he likely succumbed to anoxia, rendering him unconscious. The aircraft then entered a slow spiral and eventually disintegrated in mid-air, crashing near Franklin, Kentucky. The report includes statements from witnesses on the ground who observed the aircraft spiraling and crashing, as well as statements from other pilots in the flight who were unable to maintain formation with Mantell due to the lack of oxygen. The official conclusion of the Air Force investigation is that the accident was caused by the pilot's poor judgment in climbing to high altitude without oxygen equipment, leading to anoxia and loss of control. The document also discusses the possibility that the unidentified object observed by Mantell and others was the planet Venus or a Navy 'sky hook' balloon, noting that such balloons were being launched from Clinton County, Ohio, around that time. The report emphasizes the need for all pilots to be properly briefed on the use of oxygen and the effects of anoxia, and recommends that the accident be publicized to prevent future occurrences.