Project 10073 Record Card and Air Intelligence Information Report — Lake Charles, Louisiana, September 1952

This document comprises a series of reports and administrative records concerning an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) sighting at Lake Charles Air Force Base, Louisiana, in September 1952. The primary incident occurred on the night of 6 September 1952, when three airmen from the 44th A and E Maintenance Squadron observed a round, glowing white object that appeared brighter than a star. The witnesses reported that the object moved in a circular motion within a defined area, rose and dropped, remained stationary for periods, and then moved very rapidly to the left or right, often in non-linear paths. The witnesses estimated the object's speed at approximately 1000 miles per hour, noting that it made no sound. The sighting lasted for approximately one hour on the first night. The same or a similar object was observed again by one of the witnesses on the following night, 7 September 1952, in the same general area, though it appeared to move faster and cover a larger area than it had previously. The witnesses were interviewed by Lt Col Theodore I. Pascoe, the Director of Intelligence for the 44th Air Division. The official report, designated IR-144-52, notes that the sky was clear and that there were no meteorological conditions or air traffic in the area that could account for the sighting. The report explicitly states that no physical evidence, such as fragments or photographs, was obtained, and no interception or identification action was taken. The witnesses were identified as T/Sgt [illegible], A/1C [illegible], and A/2C [illegible], all of the 44th A and E Maintenance Squadron. Their reliability and experience were rated as D-4. The documentation includes the original Project 10073 record card, the formal Air Intelligence Information Report, and teletype communications between the 806th Air Division at Lake Charles AFB and higher commands, including the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The final evaluation of the incident remained 'Unknown,' as there was insufficient data to categorize the object as a balloon, aircraft, or astronomical phenomenon.