Project 10073 Record Card and Related Intelligence Reports — September 1952

This document collection contains field reports and intelligence correspondence regarding unidentified aerial phenomena observed in September 1952. The primary incident involves a sighting on 17 September 1952 in Tucson, Arizona, where a civilian couple reported seeing six flat, shiny, bright white objects flying in a delta formation. The objects were observed for approximately two minutes, moving at a slow rate of speed on a straight course. The report from the 43rd Bomb Wing, Intelligence Division, notes that the observers were of good character and sincere, though they lacked formal training as observers. The investigation concluded that the significance of the event was unknown, with the final evaluation marked as 'Unknown' and 'Insufficient Data'. The document also includes a diagram illustrating the formation of the objects relative to a B-50 aircraft taking off from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Additionally, the file contains intelligence reports from Tripoli, Libya, regarding sightings on 19 and 22 September 1952. These reports describe circular lights with illuminated tails and brilliant balls of light, which were also reported in the local newspaper, the Sunday Ghibli. The Tripoli reports were evaluated by the 7th Air Rescue Squadron, which suggested the possibility that the 22 September sighting was a weather balloon, as the 29th Weather Squadron launched balloons daily from Wheelus Field. The collection highlights the military's process for documenting and evaluating civilian reports, often involving cross-referencing with local weather data and air traffic, while frequently concluding that the data provided was insufficient for a definitive identification.