UFO Sighting Report — Keesler AFB, Mississippi, 24 September 1963

This document consists of a series of reports regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, on 24 September 1963. The primary report is a memorandum from Lt. Col. Lester Bridges, Chief of the Operations Services Division, to the Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The memorandum references Air Force Regulation 200-2 and submits two separate witness accounts as attachments. The first account is provided by A1C Joseph H. Lyle and A2C John E. Seburn, both dental technicians at the USAF Hospital. They reported observing a whitish-gray object at approximately 0420Z. They could not distinguish the object's shape or size, noting only that it appeared as a contrail from an invisible plane. The object was observed at a 45-degree elevation, moving from ESE to WSW, then reappearing after 10 seconds to head SE. The witnesses noted that the object seemed to explode but did not break up, instead continuing at half its original speed in a downward trajectory and becoming a cloud-like enlargement. The second account is provided by SSgt Elmer J. Olson, a duty instructor with the 3400th School Squadron, who was walking his dog at the time of the sighting. He described the object as an indescribable high-flying aircraft leaving a fluorescent trail. He noted that the trail glowed for a long time and that at one point, a red flash appeared as if an explosion had occurred. He observed the object twice, with the second sighting lasting approximately 45 seconds. Both reports include detailed weather data from the 8th Weather Detachment, indicating clear night conditions with stars visible and 3/10 cirrus clouds. The official preliminary analysis provided by the base command concluded that the objects were likely aircraft, specifically jets, despite the witnesses' inability to identify the source of the contrails.