Intelligence Report IR-1-53: Sighting of Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon, Ellington AFB, 19 May 1953

On the evening of May 19, 1953, at approximately 2230 hours, six personnel stationed at Base Operations at Ellington Air Force Base in Houston, Texas, observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The primary witness, A/3C Wendell C. Smith, an aircraft dispatcher, reported receiving a telephone call from an unidentified party off-base inquiring about the type of aircraft moving in the Houston-Ellington area. Upon receiving this call, Smith and five other airmen went outside to observe the sky. They sighted a round, yellowish-orange object, which they described as not being as bright as the stars. The object was observed for approximately one and a half minutes, during which time it traveled in a straight line from 90 degrees to 270 degrees. The witnesses reported no sound and no exhaust trail. An attempt was made to obtain a fix on the object using a theodolite, but the attempt was unsuccessful because the object was moving too fast. The witnesses estimated the object's altitude at 30,000 feet and its speed at 1,500 miles per hour. The sky was clear, the air was warm, and there was a slight breeze. The 149th AC&W Squadron was contacted, but they reported no radar return for the time of the sighting. The meteorological department at the University of Houston was consulted and determined that the object was not a planet or a meteor. The investigating officer, 3/Sgt Gravitt, noted that the witnesses were calm and their accounts were consistent. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) subsequently evaluated the report and concluded that the object was likely an aircraft traveling at high speed and high altitude. This incident was documented as part of Project Blue Book.