AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT: Unidentified Aircraft (IR-17-51)

This intelligence report details a series of sightings and electronic detections involving an unidentified aircraft in the vicinity of the Hudson Straits between September 18 and 20, 1951. The incident involved three B-36 aircraft on a training mission from Goose Air Base, Labrador, to Resolute, NWT, and Thule, Greenland. During the flight, crew members, including Major Paul E. Gerbart and Major Charles J. Cheever, reported radar interference and visual sightings of an unidentified aircraft. The object was observed at an altitude of 18,000 feet, moving approximately 30 knots faster than the B-36. Unlike standard aircraft, the object displayed twin flashing white tail lights and white wing-tip lights, rather than the conventional red and green. Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) equipment operated by S/Sgt Donald E. Jenkins and S/Sgt Doyt T. Larimore detected carrier-type signals on various frequencies, including 367, 849, 822, 991, 730, 715, and 730 mcs, as well as later detections of 'tracking' type signals. The report explicitly rules out the possibility of a naval vessel in the Hudson Straits, noting that no known U.S. or Canadian radar stations could account for the returns. Furthermore, the preparing officer, Captain Truett V. Cantrell, noted that no aircraft assigned to the Northeast Air Command (NEAC) matched the observed flight characteristics or lighting configuration. The report concludes that NEAC lacked the necessary ECM equipment or personnel to further investigate the source of the signals. Consequently, Strategic Air Command (SAC) was tasked with sending two RB-36 aircraft to Goose Air Base to attempt to determine the origin and explanation of the incident. The document emphasizes that it does not appear feasible for an enemy aircraft to conduct reconnaissance flights in the area with its lights illuminated.