Project 10073 Record Card — Madison, Wisconsin, 16 April 1952

On April 16, 1952, at approximately 2015 CST, a civilian witness in Madison, Wisconsin, reported observing five or six yellowish-white, semi-circular objects in the sky. The witness described the objects as traveling at a high rate of speed on a heading of approximately 090 degrees. After a few seconds, the objects reportedly made a sharp left turn toward the North-Northwest and climbed rapidly, at which point the lights appeared to fuse or come together. The witness reported no sound or exhaust. The sighting was verified by a second individual. Captain R. W. Campbell, the senior controller on duty at Truax Field, received the report and attempted to verify the objects via the AN/CPS-6B radar station. Although the radar was temporarily offline for maintenance, it was brought back to operational status within three minutes, but yielded no results. Fighter aircraft, specifically F-80s and F-86s, were vectored to investigate the area, but they also reported negative results. Intelligence officers conducted a thorough follow-up, checking with Northwest Airlines regarding flight paths, and consulting both the Yerkes and Washburn Observatories for any unusual astronomical activity; all inquiries returned negative results. The official conclusion reached by the Air Intelligence Information Report, authored by Captain Douglas A. Neilson, suggests that the observer likely witnessed jet aircraft operating in the vicinity. The report notes that the perceived high speed, sharp turns, and rapid climb were likely illusions caused by the distance of the aircraft, which would also account for the lack of audible engine noise. The incident was highlighted in the documentation primarily as an example of an excellent identification attempt by Air Defense Command units.