Project 10073 Record Card and Related Correspondence — Benson, Arizona, 3 April 1952

This document collection details a sighting of an unidentified aerial object on 3 April 1952, near the Benson, Arizona airport. The incident involved three civilian Air Force pilot instructors from the 3307th Training Squadron, including C. M. Jasper and Chauncey P. Logan, who were conducting ground control for student cross-country flights. At approximately 0815 MST, the observers noticed a bright, silver, oval-shaped object hovering in the sky. The object was described as being the size of a bright star and remained stationary for 52 minutes. One instructor, Mr. Logan, took a T-6 aircraft to an altitude of 13,500 feet to observe the object more closely, but reported no change in its size or appearance. The object eventually vanished in approximately 15 seconds. The report includes detailed correspondence between the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) and various military units, including the 6th Weather Squadron and the 36th Air Division, to determine if any research balloons were in the area at the time of the sighting. Official inquiries confirmed that no balloons were launched from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base that would account for the object. The investigators noted the high credibility of the witnesses, particularly the instructors who took systematic fixes on the object's position relative to their aircraft canopy. Despite the thorough investigation, the official conclusion remained 'Pending,' as the object could not be identified as an aircraft, balloon, or known astronomical body. The document includes formal statements from the witnesses, internal military message forms, and a press compilation regarding the event.