Air Intelligence Information Report 52-276: Unidentified Aerial Object, North Korea, 16 October 1952

On 16 October 1952, two USAF pilots, 1st Lt. William H. Hooper and 1st Lt. Thomas A. O'Niell, flying a T-6 aircraft over North Korea, observed an unidentified aerial object. The object was first sighted at approximately 0650I against a cloud bank. The pilots described the object as a metallic, silver-colored sphere, approximately 25 feet in diameter, with no visible aerodynamic features, propulsion, or exhaust. The object was initially traveling at 200 MPH before slowing to a hover. After hovering for approximately 1 to 2 seconds, it accelerated to an estimated 800 MPH, moving in an east-northeasterly direction until it disappeared from sight. The entire observation lasted approximately three minutes. Both pilots were flying at an altitude of 6,300 feet and observed the object at a distance of 3 to 4 miles. The pilots, who were wearing sun glasses, reported that the object appeared to have no protrusions and made no sound. The report includes statements from both pilots and sketches of the object and its flight path. Intelligence officers evaluated the sighting and suggested that the object was likely a captive balloon, noting that such balloons had been used in the area previously, as documented in a report from 24 June 1952. The evaluating officers acknowledged the difficulty of orienting oneself to a small object while maneuvering an aircraft, suggesting that the perceived movement of the object might have been influenced by the aircraft's own motion relative to ground reference points.