Incident Report — MacDill AFB, 23 July 1952

This document is a military report regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on the evening of July 23, 1952, in the vicinity of MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. The report, transmitted via cable, details sightings by multiple witnesses, including a control tower operator. According to the account, an object—described as having a greenish hue—was observed at an angle of approximately 45 degrees from the control tower. The object was noted to be accompanied by two smaller objects located further away. The control tower operator maintained visual contact with the objects until approximately 2330 EST. The report further documents that a radar unit at MacDill AFB established contact with an object at 2233, recording a position of 65,322 yards at an azimuth of 160 degrees, an altitude of 41,233 feet, and a speed of 462 knots on a true heading of 312 degrees. The report mentions that a B-29 aircraft, while checking the area, also sighted an object at 42,000 feet on a heading of 328 degrees, moving at a speed significantly faster than the B-29. The document notes that civilians in the vicinity also reported seeing the objects and that their accounts aligned with the military observations. The concluding assessment provided in the report states that the object was definitely an aircraft, though the specific nature or identification of said aircraft is not elaborated upon beyond this conclusion.