Unidentified Flying Object Near Columbus, Mississippi 28 April 1953

This document details an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported on April 28, 1953, near Columbus, Mississippi. A female student at the Mississippi State College for Women, accompanied by twelve other witnesses, observed a small object with lights for approximately fifteen minutes between 1830 and 1845 hours. The witnesses reported that the object slowly turned and moved upward before disappearing over the college campus. The report was initially telephoned to Columbus Air Force Base operations by the primary witness, though the information was not relayed to the base until 2255 hours, several hours after the event. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) subsequently requested further investigation, including information on the object's direction of travel, the presence of other aircraft, and a check on weather balloon launches within a 150-mile radius. However, the Maxwell Flight Service Center later reported that it was unable to conduct a formal investigation, and the case was documented via Air Force Form 112. The final intelligence report (IR-306-53) concludes that there was insufficient data for a formal evaluation, noting that no physical evidence, photographs, or sketches were provided by the witnesses. The document includes various internal communications and message forms between military units, including the Maxwell Flight Service Center and the Air Technical Intelligence Center, regarding the handling of the report under Project Blue Book.