Unidentified Flying Object Near New London, Connecticut 24 June 1953

This document collection details the investigation into a reported unidentified flying object sighting near New London, Connecticut, on June 24, 1953. Initial reports from civilian airline pilots, including Captain D. W. Kelley of American Airlines, described an object that appeared to burst into flames, break into two pieces, and fall into the ocean. The reports were submitted through the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center and subsequently handled by the Air Technical Intelligence Center under Project Blue Book. The investigation was resolved quickly when supplementary information confirmed that two jet aircraft from Quonset Point Naval Air Station had experienced a mid-air collision at approximately 2130E on the same date. The aircraft fell in flames 15 miles west of Quonset Point. Following the interrogation of the reporting pilots, it was concluded that the airline crews had observed the mid-air collision of the military jets. The file also contains a separate, unrelated report regarding a sighting near White Plains, New York, on June 28, 1953, involving a small, circular object, which was also processed by the same intelligence channels. The documents are marked as unclassified and include correspondence between the Air Technical Intelligence Center and American Airlines, confirming the resolution of the New London incident.