Unidentified Object Sighting — Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, 13 July 1953

This document details an unidentified aerial phenomenon sighting reported on 13 July 1953 at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. The event involved two witnesses: 2nd Lt. Philip J. Bury, a pilot flying an RF-80 aircraft, and 1st Lt. Ashley Eledge, a ground controller. At approximately 2120 EST, both witnesses observed an elliptical, bright orange object moving in a straight and level flight path on a northeasterly heading. The object was estimated to be at an altitude of 5,000 feet and traveling at approximately 550 knots. The witnesses reported that the object had no visible exhaust or vapor trail and made no sound. The observation lasted for approximately seven seconds before the object disappeared into a heavier part of the cloud cover. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) initiated an investigation under Project 10073, requesting that the base commander verify if any local meteorological activity could account for the sighting. Correspondence from Dr. Allen Hynek to Captain Edward J. Ruppelt and Lt. Olsson suggests that while the object might have been a fireball, its behavior in passing through an overcast layer was considered unusual. The report includes completed technical information sheets from both witnesses and internal military communications regarding the processing of the sighting as a 'CIRVIS' report. The official conclusion from ATIC remained tentative, suggesting meteorological causes, though the witnesses were experienced photo-reconnaissance pilots. The documentation provides a comprehensive record of the military's standard procedure for handling UAP reports during this period, including the coordination between field units and intelligence centers.