AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT - IR-33-53E

This Air Intelligence Information Report (IR-33-53E), dated September 15, 1953, documents a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon that occurred on September 12, 1953, near Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. The report, authored by Captain Paul L. Larsen of the 2d Army, details an observation made by two enlisted men between 0600 and 0610Z. The witnesses described a single golden light, approximately four times the size of a star, moving swiftly from the northeast to the north. The object exhibited highly unusual flight characteristics, including zig-zagging, rapid rising, and sudden stops, before moving off rapidly again. The object was noted to disappear for two to three seconds before reappearing. The report characterizes the object's speed as faster than any known aircraft and describes it as very maneuverable. The observation lasted for approximately ten minutes at an estimated altitude of 5,000 to 6,000 feet. The 2d Army G-2 section evaluated the report as F-2. Furthermore, the document notes that Andrews Air Force Base was contacted and confirmed that they had observed the same phenomenon at the same time and location. Despite these reports, no radar contact was established. The final conclusion provided in the document is that there was insufficient data for a definitive evaluation. The report was forwarded in compliance with Air Force Letter 200-5 and Intelligence Collection Instruction (ICI) Chapter V, Section 2.b, and was approved by Lieutenant Colonel Robert W. Stewart of the Operational Intelligence Division. A separate, unrelated note included in the document file mentions a sighting in Grants Pass, Oregon, on September 13, 1953, where a witness described a brilliant light hovering and circling, which the editor speculates might be related to the Oregon Vortex.