Air Intelligence Information Report — San Antonio, Texas, 16 June 1953

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on 16 June 1953, over Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. At approximately 1945 hours CST, three airmen from the 1923rd AACS Squadron—A/1C Robert C. Sherwood, A/2C Albert R. Kostal, and A/1C William J. Huber—observed a single, elliptical-shaped object suspended in the sky. The witnesses described the object as appearing similar to a light shining through a cloud or smoke, roughly the size of a standard envelope held at arm's length. The object remained motionless for approximately five minutes before disappearing in a manner described as a light being extinguished. The observers utilized 7x50 power binoculars to view the object, which was estimated to be between 10,000 and 15,000 feet in altitude and 10 to 15 miles away. No sound, exhaust, or propulsion systems were noted. Following the sighting, the observers contacted the local Aircraft Control and Warning (AC&W) unit and the Air Traffic Control (ARTC) Center in San Antonio, both of which reported negative results on their scopes. The observers themselves concluded that the object was likely a reflection of the sun on a high-altitude cirrus cloud. This conclusion was subsequently supported by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) and noted by Dr. Allen Hynek in correspondence with the Air Force. The report includes a formal statement from A/1C Robert C. Sherwood, who provided a detailed account of his observations and his reasoning for the meteorological explanation. The document also contains a separate, earlier incident report from 2 June 1953, involving multiple objects over San Antonio, which was also attributed to searchlight activity. The file serves as a record of the Air Force's evaluation process for UAP reports during the Project Blue Book era, emphasizing the systematic attempt to identify conventional explanations for reported sightings.