Project 10073 Record Card — 12 Aug 55

On August 12, 1955, at approximately 1600Z, a civilian witness located 12 miles southeast of Pinecastle Air Force Base, Florida, reported observing an unidentified aerial object. The witness described the object as resembling a wheelbarrow flying upside down, consisting of a black globe or balloon with a metal frame attached to the top. The object was estimated to be the same size as a B-47 aircraft and produced a sound similar to a reciprocating engine aircraft. The observation lasted for approximately one minute, during which the object was seen traveling on a straight and level course heading due west before moving out of the range of vision. The weather conditions at the time included scattered showers, a west wind at 25 knots, and significant cloud cover, including a measured overcast at 3,200 feet and thunderstorms in the southwest quadrant. Although the Pinecastle AFB weather station had released a black weather balloon at 1120 hours that day, which had reversed its direction, the official evaluation conducted by the Deputy Director of Operations for the 813th Air Division concluded that the witness likely observed a B-47 aircraft. The report suggests that the B-47 was performing a penetration maneuver to Pinecastle AFB with its aft main landing gear extended. The evaluators further noted that the presence of heavy cumulus clouds in the area could have caused sun reflections, potentially creating a halo effect around the aircraft that contributed to the witness's unusual description.