Air Intelligence Information Report: Unidentified Flying Object, Oshima area, Honshu, Japan, 30 May 1952

This Air Intelligence Information Report, dated June 7, 1952, documents an unidentified flying object sighting reported by the crew of a C-54 aircraft (#42-72452A) on May 30, 1952. The aircraft was flying a course of 190 degrees at an altitude of 8,500 feet near the Oshima area, Honshu, Japan. The crew, consisting of pilot 1st Lt. Robert J. Arblaster, co-pilot Captain William D. Leet, and engineer T/Sgt. Andrew J. Roe, observed a dark, round object at an estimated altitude of 10,000 to 20,000 feet. The object appeared to hover for approximately five to seven minutes before moving rapidly to the west. The crew provided individual statements and sketches of the phenomenon. The pilot, 1st Lt. Arblaster, dismissed the object as a 'dark, round and towering cloud,' suggesting it was detached from other formations. However, the co-pilot and engineer strongly disagreed with this assessment, stating the object was not a cloud or a balloon, and noting that it lacked visible exhaust or propulsion. The engineer specifically noted a 'tail' on the object. The intelligence officer noted that the pilot may have been anxious to excuse his failure to report the sighting promptly or take identification action. The 2143rd Air Weather Wing evaluated the report and concluded that the sighting was likely an isolated cloud, potentially darkened by backlighting or atmospheric contamination, while noting that the possibility of a weather balloon was generally discounted. The report includes detailed sketches from the three crew members and provides context on weather balloon types and release schedules in the Japan-Korea theater to assist in future evaluations of similar reports.