Air Intelligence Information Report — Unidentified Flying Objects, 27 January 1953

This Air Intelligence Information Report, dated 27 January 1953, documents a sighting of an unidentified flying object near March Air Force Base, California. The report was prepared by Major Keith P. Hansen, USAF, based on the observations of T/Sgt Howard Koonce and S/Sgt Lavon Wise, both of the 307th Air Base Group. The witnesses, who possessed significant experience in identifying aircraft, observed a single, bright silver, oval-shaped object at 1000 hours PST on 27 January 1953. The object was sighted one mile west of the base. According to the report, the object appeared larger than a B-29 aircraft at a similar distance. Its behavior was characterized by an apparent straight flight path, a wobbling motion from side to side, and a speed that varied from a hover to speeds exceeding those of any known aircraft. The observers noted a diffused glow during the object's movement, though the oval shape remained clearly defined when the glow was absent. No trail, exhaust, or audible sound was detected, and the object was observed without the aid of optical or electronic devices. Weather conditions at the time were reported as having unlimited visibility, no cloud cover, and a light wind from the northwest. The official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency, the Air Tech Intel Center, was that there was insufficient data for a definitive evaluation, with a note suggesting the phenomenon 'sounds like balloon.'