Sighting of Unidentified Flying Object over Birmingham, Alabama, 5 June 1956

On 5 June 1956, at 1437Z, two United States Air Force officers, Major Robert L. Oelker and Major Arnold E. Zimmerman, were flying in a B-25 aircraft over the Birmingham, Alabama municipal airport. Major Zimmerman was flying under the hood for instrument practice, while Major Oelker acted as safety pilot. During the flight, Major Oelker observed an unidentified object directly ahead of their aircraft at an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet. The object was described as perfectly circular, flat, and aluminum or silver in color, with an estimated diameter of 40 to 50 feet and a thickness of 6 to 8 feet. The officers observed the object for approximately 20 to 30 seconds. During this time, the object climbed about 2,000 feet and passed their aircraft at an estimated distance of 2,000 feet to the west. Major Oelker attempted to follow the object by banking the B-25 sharply, but the object veered west and continued to climb in a southerly direction until it disappeared from view. The officers noted that the object appeared to be spinning at all times and that it pulled away from their view with ease. No tails, trails, or exhaust were observed, and no sound was heard other than the noise of their own aircraft. The weather was reported as CAVU (Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited) with visibility of approximately 10 miles. Both officers were students at the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. The incident was reported to the 14th District Office of Special Investigations (OSI) and subsequently documented in Project 10073 records. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the sighting was a probable balloon. A follow-up message was sent to the originator of the report to ensure that all balloon releases in the area were checked against the sighting details.