Air Intelligence Information Report: Unidentified Object, Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico, 31 Dec 52

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report (IR-178-53) dated January 3, 1953, concerning a sighting of an unidentified object by the crew of an RB-36 aircraft (#2007) on December 31, 1952. The incident occurred at approximately 0445 hours near Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico, while the aircraft was flying at an altitude of 8,000 feet on an outbound heading of 073 degrees. The weather conditions were described as a clear, moonlit night, providing excellent visibility. Three crew members—the Aircraft Commander (Captain Robert L. Griffith), the First Pilot (1st Lt. John C. Moore), and the left scanner (A/1C Anthony A. Stankovich)—provided individual certificates detailing their observations. They described the object as a spherical, reddish-orange 'ball of fire' that appeared on the horizon. The object approached the aircraft, passed over the left wing at a distance of approximately 300 feet, traveled away from the tail, and then climbed at a high rate of speed until it disappeared. The crew members explicitly stated that the object was not a conventional aircraft or a jet. The report includes a handwritten note on the record card identifying the object as a 'METEOR.' However, the official report from the Wing Intelligence Officer, Major Bradford P. Shuman, highlights the concern that the object presented a 'serious flying hazard' and notes that no programmed missile lanes were scheduled in the immediate vicinity. The document concludes with a request for any information that might clarify the nature or origin of the object.