Air Intelligence Information Report: Unidentified Aerial Object Sighting, Eklutna, Alaska, 22 January 1953

This Air Intelligence Information Report (IR-13-52), dated 29 January 1953, details an investigation into an aerial sighting reported by six women in Eklutna, Alaska, on 22 January 1953. The report was prepared by the 5004th Air Intelligence Service Squadron following an article published in the Anchorage Daily Times. The witnesses, who were interviewed by the squadron, described observing an unusual, shiny, aluminum-colored object for approximately two hours. They reported that the object appeared to be twice the size of a star and, when viewed through binoculars, appeared round. The witnesses also described a vapor-like substance near the object that changed colors from blue-yellow to red-yellow. Some witnesses reported that the object moved up and down rapidly and that a second, smaller black object was seen soaring through a mountain pass at speeds exceeding that of a jet. However, the investigating officers, led by Captain Winston E. Boutelle, expressed skepticism regarding the reported movement, suggesting that the use of binoculars may have created an optical illusion. The investigators also dismissed the second black object as likely being a bird, such as a raven, which is common in the region. The official conclusion reached by the Intelligence Directorate of the Alaskan Air Command was that the primary object was likely the planet Venus, which was positioned in that sector of the sky at the time. The report includes detailed weather data for the time of the sighting, confirming clear visibility, and notes that no unusual radar returns were recorded. The witnesses, described as mature and level-headed, were interviewed to ensure the accuracy of the account, but the investigation ultimately attributed the sighting to a celestial body and misidentified natural phenomena.