Report on an Unidentified Object in Flight — Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, 2 October 1953

On 2 October 1953, at approximately 0200 hours, S/Sgt Dale E. McCombs and PFC Charles E. Brown observed an unidentified aerial object at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The object was described as a bright, bluish-white light, comparable in brightness and color to the planet Venus. The witnesses observed the object for approximately 8 to 10 minutes. According to the report, the object initially traveled at high speed, then slowed to a stop, performing a 'fish-tailing' motion before hovering at a specific point. The witnesses estimated the object's speed to be in excess of a thousand miles per hour during its initial flight. The object emitted no audible noise. S/Sgt McCombs, who authored the report, noted that he was familiar with conventional aircraft and meteors and was certain the object was neither. He further stated that the object appeared to be in the stratosphere or higher, based on its position relative to a thin scattering of cirro-stratus clouds. During the observation, S/Sgt McCombs attempted to contact the field control tower to report the object, but was unable to reach them. Upon returning to the observation point, the object was no longer visible. The report includes diagrams illustrating the object's flight path and maneuvers. The official conclusion provided on the form is that the object was 'possibly aircraft in area,' though the author remained convinced that the object was an 'intelligently controlled' craft with performance capabilities unlike anything he had seen before.