Project 10073 Record Card and Incident Report — Benton, Pennsylvania, 19 April 1952

On 19 April 1952, the 64th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, located in Benton, Pennsylvania, recorded a radar sighting of three unidentified objects. The objects were detected at 1550Z and remained on the station's PPI scope for a duration of 28 minutes. The targets were observed flying in formation at an altitude of 12,000 feet with an average speed of approximately 400 knots. The report notes that the targets did not possess Mark X IFF (Mode 2) identification. The sighting was observed by a Captain whose name is redacted in the document. The report highlights that a cold front was passing over the area at the time, which resulted in a temperature inversion. The objects were tracked in an easterly direction. The incident was formally documented on a Project 10073 record card and in a subsequent letter to the Air Material Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, dated 17 June 1952. The official conclusion reached by the reporting unit was that the objects were identified as friendly aircraft. No scramble action was taken by the station, and the aircraft were considered friendly. The document was signed by Major W.A. Cromartie of the USAF.