Air Intelligence Information Report: Unidentified Flying Object Sighting, 11 January 1958

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report regarding an Unidentified Flying Object (UFOB) sighting that occurred on January 11, 1958, in the Bering Sea area. The report details an incident involving a Navy P2V-5F patrol bomber from PATRON 1, Kodiak Naval Base, which detected three unidentified objects on its APS 20E radar. The objects were initially observed in a triangular formation at a distance of 45 miles, appearing stationary before moving in a westerly direction at an estimated speed of 900 knots. The objects crossed the bow of the patrol aircraft at a distance of 11 miles and appeared to merge into a single target as the distance closed. Four crew members reported sighting lights, and one crew member reported a vapor trail. The sighting lasted approximately five minutes. The report includes extensive investigative efforts to identify the objects, including inquiries with the CAA Air Route Traffic Control Center, SAC, and various Air Force divisions. The investigation noted that Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 285 was in the vicinity at the time, but its flight path did not correlate with the radar data or the estimated speed of the objects. The preparing officer, 1st Lt. Charles L. Berrier, concluded that while the objects were likely aircraft, a definitive identification could not be made due to the inability to correlate the observed airspeed with known aircraft in the area. Subsequent disposition forms from AFCIN-4E1 and AFCIN-4E4 concur with the evaluation that the flight characteristics indicate aircraft, and in the absence of other supporting data, it is assumed the objects were aircraft. The document includes a supplement with a map showing the relative positions of the P2V aircraft and the UFOB track.