Unidentified Flying Object Sighting Report — Sidi Slimane Air Base, French Morocco, 2 September 1953

On 2 September 1953, at 2114 hours, the crew of a USAF C-47 aircraft on a routine training flight near Sidi Slimane Air Base, French Morocco, observed an unidentified flying object. The object was described as an unusually bright white light, appearing larger than a standard aircraft navigation light. The crew reported that the object initially appeared at an altitude of approximately 4,000 feet above their aircraft. The object exhibited high-speed maneuvers, including a near-collision course, a 180-degree descending turn, and a subsequent 90-degree turn toward a highway, where it appeared to hover before disappearing. The total duration of the observation was approximately three minutes. The crew maintained visual contact by flying the C-47 in a 360-degree circle. Weather conditions were reported as clear with no moon and calm winds, with visibility exceeding 20 miles. Air traffic control at Sidi Slimane and Casablanca confirmed there were no other aircraft in the immediate vicinity, correcting an earlier, erroneous report that suggested the object might have been a naval aircraft from Port Lyautey. The investigation, documented in Air Intelligence Information Report (AF Form 112), was conducted by 1st Lt. Glenn D. Adams and approved by Colonel Edwin M. Kirton. The report notes that the maneuvers of the object suggested the possibility of an aircraft engaged in a practice dogfight, though the object's shape could not be determined and no sound was audible. The incident was formally filed under Project Blue Book.