Project 10073 Record Card: Radar Sighting, Gulf of Mexico, 18 January 1960

On 18 January 1960, at 2255Z, the crew of a B-52 aircraft (number 57072) operating in the Gulf of Mexico at 38,000 feet observed an unidentified object on their radar equipment. The object was described as a large, oblong shape, approximately three times the size of a B-52, with no visible tail, trail, or exhaust. Four crew members, including the navigator and radar officer, observed the object on the ASB-4 and repeater radar scopes. The object appeared to be on a collision course, traveling at an estimated speed of 10,000 to 14,000 mph. It was observed for approximately 15 seconds before disappearing instantaneously after passing the aircraft in a westerly direction. The object was not detected by ground radar, including the 'Tape Worm' GCI station in the vicinity. Meteorological data indicated clear weather with high-altitude cirrus clouds and a strong jet stream. Following the incident, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) initiated an evaluation. Dr. J. Allen Hynek, acting as a consultant, suggested that the sighting might be a scattering phenomenon caused by meteorological conditions at the tropopause, which could scatter the beam from a powerful ground radar and create a false blip on the aircraft's radar. This hypothesis was supported by the fact that the object was not picked up by ground radar. The official conclusion reached by the military was that the sighting was likely caused by anomalous propagation. The report was prepared by the 438th Strategic Wing Intelligence Officer and coordinated through the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.