Air Intelligence Information Report — Unidentified Flying Object, Cleveland, Ohio, 24 May 1954

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report regarding a sighting of an unidentified flying object on May 24, 1954, near Cleveland, Ohio. The report details an incident involving an F-86 aircraft from the 71st Fighter Interceptor Squadron, which was scrambled from Greater Pittsburgh Airport at 0300Z after a GOC station reported an object at 15,000 feet. The pilot observed an orange light that alternated to a red glow. The object appeared and disappeared three times, with the pilot noting that the aircraft was unable to gain on the object, which remained ahead of the aircraft on a course of 310 degrees. The altitude of the object was estimated to vary between 15,000 and 19,000 feet. The report explicitly states that no radar contact was made by either the aircraft or ground stations. The sky conditions were described as clear with excellent visibility. The final conclusion reached by the project investigators was that the object was the planet Jupiter, noting its position at 300 degrees azimuth and 10 degrees elevation. The report was prepared by 2nd Lt. H. C. Copeland of the 71st Fighter Interceptor Squadron.