Project 10073 Record Card and Air Intelligence Information Report — Sault St. Marie, Michigan, 17 April 1952

On 17 April 1952, at approximately 1600 hours, a civilian witness driving east on Michigan State Highway Number 28, eight miles south of Sault St. Marie, observed a stationary, round, pink object in the sky. The object was estimated to be at an altitude between 5,000 and 8,000 feet and appeared to be the size of a B-29 aircraft or larger. The witness continued driving but observed the object periodically to determine its characteristics before reporting the incident to authorities at Camp Lucas. The investigation was conducted by Captain Grady Woodham of the Post S-2 office at Camp Lucas, in accordance with AFOIN-C/CC-2. Captain Woodham reported that the weather was clear with a temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Although rumors of the sighting spread among a small number of local residents, the investigation confirmed that no other individuals had witnessed the phenomenon. The official conclusion reached by the reporting officers was that the object was likely a weather balloon, noting that the pink color was consistent with a balloon diffusing oblique rays of the sun. The preparing officer also listed several alternative possibilities, including a kite, friendly aircraft, or various forms of sun reflection off clouds, Lake Superior, or mist over the St. Mary's River Falls. The report was approved by Lieutenant Colonel J. J. Hoffman and distributed to the Director of Intelligence at Hqs USAF, Hqs ConAC, and Hqs Tenth AF.