Unidentified Flying Object Sighting Reports — Newton, Mississippi and San Antonio, Texas, June 1953

This collection of documents details multiple reports of unidentified aerial phenomena occurring on the night of June 2, 1953. The primary incident involved a Convair T-29 aircraft (No. 1931 or 5170) on a round-robin flight from Ellington Air Force Base, Texas, to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. At approximately 2251 hours, while flying at 9,000 feet near Newton, Mississippi, the crew observed a whitish-green light that appeared to be an aircraft navigational light. The object, which was visible for 12 to 15 seconds, appeared to be on a parallel course before it began to climb, intensified in color, and left a trail of fire and sparks similar to a rocket. The object eventually disintegrated into a ball of fire. Three separate pilots—Captain John J. Grauer Jr., 1st Lt. William T. Hemphill Jr., and 1st Lt. Robert L. Cerutti—provided reports on the sighting. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) contract astronomer concluded that the object was a meteor, and that the perceived climbing motion was an illusion caused by the aircraft's own maneuvers to avoid a potential collision. A second, unrelated incident occurred on the same night in San Antonio, Texas, where an observer reported seeing three to six yellowish lights, each the size of a bicycle wheel, maneuvering over the city for approximately two hours. These lights exhibited zig-zag movements and circular flight paths before eventually fading from sight. Unlike the Newton incident, this sighting involved no sound and no physical evidence. The reports were processed through the 3605th Observer Training Wing at Ellington AFB and forwarded to the Air Technical Intelligence Center for inclusion in Project Blue Book. The documents include various internal communications, message forms, and formal Air Intelligence Information Reports, all of which were eventually downgraded from their initial unclassified status under DOD Directive 5200.10.