Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting of 19 April 1958

On 19 April 1958, the crew of a B-47 aircraft, commanded by Captain H.T. Stubbs, observed a round, silver, transparent-like object while flying at 32,000 feet between Syracuse, New York, and Plattsburgh AFB. The object, described as appearing the size of a dime at arm's length, was observed for approximately 20 minutes. The crew initially suspected the object was a balloon, but noted it did not disappear as rapidly as expected. The object was described as white to yellow to orange to pale yellow and appeared to quiver. The crew took four Kodachrome photographs of the object. Following the incident, an investigation was conducted by the 380th Bomb Wing and the Air Technical Intelligence Center. Weather charts were reviewed, and it was determined that a high-altitude balloon, identified as S-393, was in the area at the time of the sighting. While the official conclusion of the Intelligence Division was that the object was likely a radiosonde or experimental balloon, the report explicitly notes that the experienced B-47 crew did not believe the object was a balloon. The report includes correspondence between various military units, including the 14th Fighter Group, regarding the disposition of the photographic evidence, which was eventually submitted to the Air Technical Intelligence Center. The final assessment by the Intelligence Division concluded that the object was indeed Balloon No. S-393, citing the object's slow movement and the photographic evidence.