Dangerous Assignment: Investigating Flying Saucers (Aired 04/17/1950)

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode Date: February 11, 2026 (re-release)
Original Air Date: April 17, 1950
Featuring: Brian Donlevy as Steve Mitchell

Episode Overview

In this classic "Dangerous Assignment" episode, government agent Steve Mitchell is sent to South America to investigate a string of mysterious plane disappearances involving Triangle Airlines. The intrigue thickens after reports of "flying saucers" coincide with the vanishing planes, leading Steve through jungles, perilous booby traps, and sinister plots. The episode combines Cold War-era paranoia about extraterrestrial threats with noirish detective suspense, ultimately exposing a very human conspiracy behind the supernatural rumors.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Developments

The Mission Briefing (00:42–02:20)

• Steve Mitchell receives an urgent assignment from the Commissioner: Three Triangle Airlines planes have vanished in South America, each reporting sightings of "flying saucers" before radio contact was lost.
• The Commissioner admits the oddity bluntly:
  "Flying saucers." (Commissioner, 01:27)
• The gravity: Disappearances are close to the Panama Canal, heightening strategic concerns.

Arrival and First Encounter (02:56–06:16)

• Steve meets Drake, the chief pilot, and is flown towards Santa Rosa.
• En route, the two witness mysterious whirling lights:
  "Hey, they look like rings or discs whirling around." (Steve, 03:51)
• Suddenly, Drake appears to be knocked out by an invisible force, and Steve must land the plane himself.

Meeting the Key Players (06:29–08:45)

• At Santa Rosa, Steve meets Kovac (airline owner) and his nephew George.
• Tension surfaces between Kovac and George regarding the management of the airline and an offer from the Van Horn Exporting Company.
• Steve decides to investigate the Van Horn Company, whose regular shipments were aboard each vanished flight.

Probing Van Horn and Patterns in Disappearances (08:55–11:33)

• Steve interviews Herta Van Horn, the firm’s head. She admits withdrawing her offer after rumors of a revolutionary party began circulating.
• Steve discovers patterns:
  • Every missing flight carried Van Horn shipments.
  • Invoice logs have discrepancies in crate counts.
  • Flying saucer sightings occur 20 minutes after takeoff, near Mount San Anselmo.

Into the Jungle – Traps and Clues (11:33–14:17)

• With local guide Pablo, Steve explores the jungle, narrowly escaping a deadly trap set along the path.
• They find a cryptic note: "LA Post, 8 o'clock"—a meeting set at a local bar, hinting at deeper intrigue.

The Bar Bust and Revolutionary Rumors (14:30–16:46)

• Steve tails George to La Posada Bar, observes a covert meeting with Herta, but a sudden military raid arrests everyone present.
• Lt. Gonzalez claims the bar is a revolutionary headquarters, echoing rumors Steve suspects are being deliberately spread.

Cracking the Cargo Mystery (16:46–18:26)

• Steve matches cargo manifests—more crate discrepancies point to smuggling or deliberate sabotage.
• Both Kovac and George handle invoices; suspicion mounts as Steve asks for access to another flight.

The Fireworks Revelation – The Real Saucers (18:26–22:14)

• That evening, Steve stows away on a cargo plane. He confirms six crates (not five) and overhears illicit activity.
• Flying alongside, Steve and others see "saucers" enveloping the cargo plane—actually elaborate fireworks attached to the plane:
  "They're not flying saucers. They're just a glorified collection of fireworks." (Steve, 21:03)
• A man emerges from a crate—connecting the disappeared pilots and cargo tampering.

The Double Cross – Drake Unmasked (22:14–23:28)

• In a tense confrontation, Drake pulls a gun, exposing himself as the mastermind. He had access to flights, altered invoices, and staged his earlier collapse.
• "As chief pilot, you were in a good spot to alter the invoices and get your stooges aboard the plane and crates." (Steve, 22:48)

The Final Showdown and Rescue (23:28–27:13)

• Steve, Kovac, and George are locked in a hut, which is set ablaze in the jungle.
• Steve’s contingency—having called Lt. Gonzalez and left their radio frequency—pays off as the military rescues them at dawn.
• Drake is subdued in a chase; military presence puts an end to the operation at the secret jungle airstrip.

Epilogue – Motives and Reflections (27:13–27:23)

• The plot’s true goal: Use phony saucer scares to disrupt the airline, clearing airspace for secret revolutionary flights or worse.
• The ending offers a tongue-in-cheek lesson: "If you monkey around with fireworks long enough, you're sure to get your nose burned or busted." (Steve, 27:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the far-fetched assignment:
  "If you think I'm going down to South America and start looking for flying saucers, that's just what you are... going to do, Steve. And your plane leaves in an hour."
  (Steve and Commissioner, 01:28–01:39)

• When the revelation hits:
  "They're not flying saucers. They're just a glorified collection of fireworks."
  (Steve, 21:03)

• Classic Steve Mitchell humor:
  "I'll take fresh air with mine." (As they must choose between fire and bullets, 25:12)

• On the human element of crime:
  "Could be that's all there is to it. But it's not a long hop from here to the Panama Canal. Maybe somebody else had ideas about using this strip eventually."
  (Steve, 26:58)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------| | 00:42 | Steve receives his assignment | | 03:51 | First sighting of the “flying saucers” | | 06:29 | Introduction to Kovac and George | | 08:14 | Steve visits Herta Van Horn | | 11:33 | Steve & Pablo evade a jungle trap | | 14:30 | Steve tails George to La Posada bar | | 16:46 | Steve and Herta discuss cargo invoices | | 18:26 | Steve sneaks aboard the suspect cargo plane | | 21:03 | Fireworks/fake saucer revelation | | 22:48 | Confrontation with Drake | | 23:28 | Steve and allies trapped; hut set ablaze | | 25:18 | Military rescue arrives | | 26:58 | Theorizing about the broader plot | | 27:23 | Steve’s final quip on fireworks and fate |

Episode Takeaways

• The “flying saucers” were just a cover for a smuggling operation, exploiting Cold War fears and airline desperation.
• Key suspects were hiding in plain sight, using documentation errors and staged incidents to further the plot.
• Steve Mitchell’s combination of intuition, grit, and humor allows him to untangle not just an aviation mystery, but a web of human deceit.

True to its golden age radio roots, this episode blends hard-boiled detective work with sci-fi thrills—only to find the culprit is much closer to home than Mars.