On July 24, 1948, while serving as co‑pilot on an Eastern Air Lines DC‑3 flight near Montgomery, Alabama, Whitted observed a dull red glow ahead of the aircraft at approximately 2:45 AM. The object rapidly approached and passed on the right side at an estimated distance of 700 feet. Whitted described the object as torpedo shaped, approximately 100 feet long, with flames emanating from its tail.

According to Whitted's testimony, the encounter lasted 10‑15 seconds. He corroborated Chiles's description of a wingless, cigar shaped craft, though he noted rectangular windows rather than a cockpit projection. The object then climbed into a cloud with a “tremendous burst of flame” and disappeared. Both pilots reported the sighting to Air Force personnel upon landing in Atlanta.

The case was investigated by Project Sign (later Project Blue Book). Whitted maintained his account throughout official interviews, providing consistent testimony that supported the credibility of the sighting.

John B. Whitted was a commercial pilot for Eastern Air Lines, serving as co‑pilot on the DC‑3 flight involved in the sighting. His professional training and experience as a commercial aviator qualified him as a trained observer of aerial phenomena.

Investigators described Whitted as credible and consistent in his testimony. His account, combined with that of the more senior Chief Pilot Clarence Chiles, provided a strong basis for official investigation.

The Chiles‑Whitted case is notable for the high credibility of both pilots and the consistency of their independent accounts. Investigators emphasized that two trained observers provided similar descriptions of an unusual aerial object.

Official Air Force investigations eventually concluded the object was likely a bright meteor (bolide). Skeptical analysts have suggested that the pilots misidentified a meteor under night‑flying conditions, with the perceived structure resulting from perceptual filling‑in of an ambiguous stimulus. Proponents argue that the detailed descriptions of windows and shape, along with the object's reported proximity and apparent controlled flight, distinguish it from typical meteor sightings.

The case remains a key example in discussions of pilot witness reliability and the challenges of interpreting unusual aerial observations.

John B. Whitted's testimony, alongside that of Clarence S. Chiles, contributed to the early U.S. military debate over the nature of UFOs. The Chiles‑Whitted sighting was one of three 1948 cases that prompted Project Sign to consider non‑conventional explanations seriously.

The encounter continues to be cited in historical analyses of UAP investigations and studies of pilot‑based UFO reports.