Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting Report - Atlantic Ocean, 30 Sep 52

On 30 September 1952, while stationed at Ocean Station UNCLE, the crew of the US Coast Guard cutter TANEY (WPG-37) observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The Commanding Officer, who was on the bridge at the time, reported seeing a luminous, greyish disc, estimated to be 500 to 600 feet in diameter, hovering at an altitude of approximately 5,000 feet. The object initially hovered before moving slowly and then rapidly accelerating to an estimated speed of 800 miles per hour. The Commanding Officer, previously a skeptic regarding 'flying saucer' reports, was initially convinced of the object's authenticity. However, the report concludes that the phenomenon was actually an aircraft in transit, flying three or four thousand feet above the cloud layer, which was operating a landing light. The light from the aircraft, viewed from beneath the clouds, created a sharply delineated, oval-shaped form that appeared to have density and substance. The report suggests that this incident serves as a valuable example of how experienced military personnel can be misled by light phenomena, providing a logical explanation for other similar, otherwise unaccounted-for sightings. The report was forwarded by the Coast Guard Commandant to the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for their information.