Report of Sighting of Unidentified Flying Object — Keesler AFB, Mississippi, 2 August 1952

On August 2, 1952, at approximately 1920 hours CST, Airman First Class Gerald T. McCabe, a senior accounting clerk at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, observed an unidentified flying object. McCabe, who possessed approximately 500 hours of aircraft spotter experience from World War II, was walking near Base Supply when he noticed a white, round object in the sky, northeast of his position. The object appeared to be approximately 18 inches in diameter and was situated in front of and below a twin-engine aircraft, which the observer identified as a C-47. The object was traveling at an estimated speed of 650 to 700 miles per hour at an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet. The observation lasted for only two seconds. According to the observer, the object left a trail comparable to dying pyrotechnics, curved backward, and appeared to disintegrate. No sound was heard, and no aerodynamic features were observed. Following the sighting, base operations confirmed that a C-47 aircraft had landed at Keesler AFB at 1950 hours that same evening. Intelligence officers interviewed the crew of the C-47, but no further information regarding the object was obtained. The official report, authored by Major Eli S. Fowler, Jr., concluded that the brevity of the sighting and the absence of corroborating witnesses made it impossible to determine the reliability of the report or the nature of the object. Weather data for the time of the incident indicated clear conditions with 2/10 cirrus clouds at 25,000 feet and good visibility.