Captain Davidson and Lieutenant Brown were United States Air Force officers who worked as investigators for Military Intelligence.
Davidson and Brown were sent by Military Intelligence officer Douglas Milford and FBI agent Frederic Nathan to meet with Kenneth Arnold, Emil J. Smith, and Fred Crisman at the Winthrop Hotel on July 31, 1947.[1]
After the group was contacted by Paul Lantz, who claimed that an anonymous person claimed to be aware of the meeting taking place at the hotel. Believing that they were under surveillance, Davidson and Brown suggested they move into the hallway.[1]
Davidson and Brown requested fragments that Harold Dahl claimed to have been dropped by a UFO, planning to launch an investigation into the matter. The fragments were given to them in a corn flakes box and they boarded a B-25 en route to Hamilton Field.[1]
Within half an hour after takeoff, the aircraft caught fire and crashed near Kelso, Washington, killing Davidson and Brown while the plane's crew chief and a sergeant passenger parachuted to safety.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
Captain William Lee Davidson and Lieutenant Frank Brown were Army Air Force officers who died in a plane crash during their investigation into the Maury Island incident.