Unidentified Object Report — Tehran, Iran, 11 May 1953

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report (IR-93-53) concerning an unidentified flying object sighting over Tehran, Iran, on 11 May 1953. The primary witness was Lt. Colonel Dayton C. Casto, Jr., a USAF officer serving as an adviser to the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF). According to the report, Mrs. Casto first spotted five objects while sunbathing on the roof of their home. She alerted her husband, who then observed the objects. By the time he arrived on the roof, only one object remained visible. The objects were described as metallic, similar in color to aluminum, and comparable in size to a B-45 aircraft. They were observed flying in a trail formation at an estimated altitude of 20,000 to 25,000 feet, moving on an easterly course at an estimated speed of 500 to 600 mph. The witness noted that the objects made no sound, left no contrails, and exhibited a rolling motion from side to side, which he likened to a coordination exercise. The observation lasted approximately one minute. The report includes statements from both Lt. Col. Casto and his wife, as well as an aeronautical chart (No. 428) marking the sighting location. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) evaluated the report and concluded that the objects were likely aircraft. Specifically, the ATIC suggested the possibility of a Soviet overflight involving Il-28 aircraft, noting that such aircraft were based in the region and had the necessary range capabilities to conduct such a flight. The report emphasizes that Lt. Col. Casto was an experienced officer who had previously flown jet aircraft and had participated in 'flying saucer missions' without ever having made a sighting himself. The document was downgraded from its original classification in accordance with DOD Directive 5200.10.