Unidentified Aerial Object Sighting Report — Simiutak, Greenland, 24 June 1953

On 24 June 1953, at 1445Z, A/2C Richard A. Hill, a weather observer with the 6611th Air Base Group Intelligence at Simiutak, Greenland, reported an unidentified aerial object. While tracking a 100-gram weather balloon through a theodolite, Hill observed the balloon burst at an altitude of 18,000 feet. Immediately following the burst, he sighted a red, rotating object at the same location. Hill described the object as being approximately twice the size of the balloon and initially triangular in shape. The object hovered for fifteen seconds before climbing to the west. Hill continued to observe the object for five minutes, during which time it appeared as a red ball-shaped dot, leaving no trail and gaining altitude at a tremendous rate of speed before disappearing. The object was not visible to the naked eye, and the observation was made solely by Hill through the theodolite. Meteorological data from the 8/13th Weather Detachment indicated that the balloon burst occurred in an area of wind shift. Analysis of the 1500Z 500-millibar chart showed winds at 18,000 feet were 280 degrees at 12 knots, while winds from 18,000 to 20,000 feet were northwesterly at 15 knots. The object appeared to disappear into the wind. The commander of the 8/13th Weather Detachment suggested that the sighting was likely an optical illusion or caused by parallax in the theodolite lens. The incident was reported to the Air Technical Intelligence Center as part of Project Blue Book. Subsequent correspondence between ATIC and the local command clarified that the observer did not see the balloon and the object simultaneously through the theodolite and that the object was not carrying instruments. The final evaluation by the Director of Intelligence, NEAC, classified the incident as an Unidentified Aerial Object.