Spot Intelligence Report — Unidentified Flying Object, Selfridge AFB, 9 March 1950

This document is a collection of reports and correspondence regarding an Unidentified Flying Object sighting at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, on the night of 9 March 1950. The incident involved radar operators from the 61st AC & W Squadron who tracked an object on both AN/CPS-5 and AN/CPS-4 radar sets. The object exhibited erratic behavior, including rapid altitude changes and periods of remaining stationary in free space for approximately two minutes. 1st Lt. Francis E. Parker and 1st Lt. F. K. Mattson, both radar controllers, provided detailed narrative reports of the event. Lt. Mattson also reported observing a yellowish light in the sky while driving from the Officers' Club, which he initially mistook for a flare but later determined was not, due to its color and movement. The object was described as having a size comparable to a B-36 aircraft. Technical experts at the Continental Air Command reviewed the reports and concluded that the observations could not be explained by known electronic phenomena or anomalous propagation effects, noting that the reported velocities and accelerations exceeded the capabilities of known aircraft. The document includes official correspondence between the 5th OSI District, the Air Materiel Command, and the Director of Intelligence at the United States Air Force, highlighting the military's concern regarding the sighting and the need for further investigation into radar sightings of unusual objects. The reports emphasize the sincerity of the witnesses and the technical accuracy of the radar equipment used during the observation.