Incident Report — Malibu Beach, California, 29 January 1953

This document compiles reports and internal correspondence regarding a series of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings in Southern California in late January 1953. The primary case, designated Case #22, involves a report from a Navy Lieutenant Commander who, while piloting a twin-engine aircraft near Malibu Beach on January 29, 1953, observed four metallic, B-36-sized discs flying in a vertical squadron formation. The witness estimated the objects were traveling at 1,200 mph at an altitude of 20,000 feet on a southeast course. The objects were described as having a dull silver, metallic appearance and made no sound. The witness, considered reliable by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC), reported that the objects eventually disappeared toward Riverside, California. The document also includes press clippings from the Los Angeles Examiner and other sources detailing a separate incident involving a Marine Corps jet pilot who chased a 'fiery object' for 25 miles, and reports from tower controllers at Long Beach airport regarding an 'eerie orange flame' or 'ball of fire.' Internal Air Force memoranda, including a note from Captain E. J. Ruppelt, indicate that while these sightings generated significant public and media interest, there was no corresponding radar data to corroborate the reports. The official ATIC conclusion for the primary sighting was that there was insufficient data available for a proper analysis. The file includes completed U.S. Air Force Technical Information Sheets, sketches of the objects' flight paths, and weather data from the time of the observation.