Project 10073 Record Card and Air Intelligence Information Report — 22 August 1952

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report concerning a sighting of two unidentified aerial objects on 22 August 1952. The witness, a 19-year-old private pilot, was flying a Cessna 140 at 3,000 feet between El Monte and Claremont, California, when he observed two silver, teardrop-shaped objects. According to the pilot, the objects were traveling at supersonic speeds on a heading toward the Salton Sea. The pilot reported that he experienced severe turbulence when the objects crossed his flight path. The report notes that the pilot was flying VFR (Visual Flight Rules) and that haze and smog were present in the area at the time. Following the initial report to the CAA in Ontario, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) initiated an investigation, sending a questionnaire to the witness. Military radar units, specifically the AC&W squadrons, were checked for corroborating data; however, they reported negative detection of the objects, although a C.O.C. track (Zebra 50) was noted in the general area. The intelligence report concludes that while the witness's account is considered truthful, the lack of detailed imagery and the fleeting nature of the observation make the objects unidentified. The report characterizes the sighting as an 'object' of high speed that could not be further identified beyond the pilot's description.