Project 10073 Record: Sighting of Surface Vessels, 10 May 1954

On May 10, 1954, a military pilot reported sighting eight unidentified objects in the Atlantic Ocean at coordinates 44.54 N, 49.30 W. The objects were observed in two V-formations, covering an area of approximately 2.5 square miles. The initial report, filed under Project 10073, noted the objects were heading south. Subsequent communications between the 64th Air Division and various military commands, including ATIC, clarified the nature of the sighting. A C-54 aircraft, piloted by LT Russell E. Hain, observed the objects while flying at an altitude of 2,000 feet. The pilot noted that the objects were moving at a speed of 5 knots and appeared to be tankers or freighters, as they were lighted fore and aft. Further investigation and teletype messages confirmed that the objects were eight fishing boats operating out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The report explicitly states that there was no radar contact, no GCI or GCA contact, and no intercept was attempted. The weather was reported as clear during the observation. The final conclusion recorded in the Project 10073 file is that the objects were definitely identified as fishing boats.