Project 10073 Record Card and Air Intelligence Information Report - Case 15

This document details a series of unidentified aerial phenomena reported by the crew of a B-29 aircraft during a training mission over the Gulf of Mexico on December 6, 1952. The crew, consisting of six experienced personnel, observed multiple radar returns and visual flashes of light. The radar contacts were tracked for approximately ten minutes, showing objects moving at extremely high speeds, estimated between 5,000 and 9,000 miles per hour. The visual observations were described as split-second, bluish-white flashes of light with no discernible shape, sound, or exhaust. The weather conditions were reported as clear and dry with excellent visibility and a full moon. The crew confirmed these observations on both the main and auxiliary radar scopes, and the instructor navigator and instructor radio operator verified the findings. Despite the high-speed radar returns, the official conclusion from the 3510th Flying Training Wing was that all known aerial phenomena were checked with negative results. An evaluation by the Foreign Technology Division in 1962 suggested that the blips could have been caused by beacon returns, atmospheric variations, or ducting, though the report acknowledges that the radar sightings were definite enough to preclude simple operator error. The visual sightings were ultimately deemed indecisive and of little confirmatory value. The report includes detailed flight paths, radar scope sketches, and individual certificates signed by the crew members, all of whom maintained the reality of the objects observed. The incident remains categorized as unexplained within the context of the provided documentation.