Incident Report: National Airlines Flight 650 Sighting, October 26, 1953

This document is a collection of teletype reports and field summaries regarding an aerial sighting that occurred on October 26, 1953, at approximately 1835 hours. The primary witnesses were the crew of National Airlines Flight 650, including a co-pilot and a flight engineer, who were flying at 18,000 feet. They reported observing a large, round, green ball of fire traveling on a level, south-to-north course at an estimated altitude of 25,000 feet. Several seconds after the initial sighting, three smaller balls appeared behind the primary object, each approximately one-third the size of the original. The objects were described as moving at a very high rate of speed and were in sight for approximately six to seven seconds. The sighting was corroborated by other National Airlines flight crews in the area. Weather conditions were reported as excellent, with unlimited visibility and only scattered, thin cirrus clouds. Despite the detailed observations provided by the flight crew, the initial conclusion recorded in the document suggests the objects were likely meteors. The report includes various administrative markings, including declassification instructions and routing information to the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson AFB and other military commands. The document also references a similar sighting reported by a tower operator at Itami Air Base, though the primary focus remains on the Florida incident.