Air Intelligence Information Report IR-174-52

This Air Intelligence Information Report, dated 18 April 1952, details two unusual sightings reported by aircrews of the 57th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron during routine weather flights in the Pacific Ocean. The report, authored by Captain Arthur G. Love and approved by Colonel William L. Travis of the Intelligence Division, Hq MATS, serves as a record for Project 10073. The first incident occurred on 8 March 1952 at 2130Z, where a crew observed three puffs of white smoke at an altitude of 18,500 feet at position 33°36'N, 156°23'West. The crew reported that there were no clouds in the area and the sea was calm; a subsequent search of the region yielded no surface vessels. The second incident occurred on 12 March 1952 at 2231Z, involving an oil slick observed at 38°43'N, 159°52'West. The aircraft descended to 500 feet and made four passes over the slick, which was estimated to cover an area approximately ten miles in diameter. Ten of the eleven crew members observed the oily substance. The crew noted that the sea was calm, there were no clouds below 25,000 feet, and they observed five flocks of sea gulls, each containing about 15 birds, in the vicinity of the slick. The Hawaiian Sea Frontier was provided with full details of both sightings by the aircrews. The document includes various record cards and status report extracts that categorize the first incident as a 'possible meteor explosion.' The report is marked as unclassified and includes instructions for downgrading at three-year intervals and declassification after twelve years per DOD Directive 5200.10.