NATIONAL ARCHIVES MICROFILM PUBLICATIONS Microfilm Publication Tl206 PROJECT BLUE BOOK Files of Individual Sightings File Nos. 343-443 April 9-June 26, 1949 THE NATIONAL .. ~RCHIVES NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON: 1976 ~i'oed. About half ju dr;ed t t. t the ap ned vula leo s t hall 500 tnilea an hour. The other halt or the j Ud7-tOnts vari~d frcr.t' 500 ~iln ~ an hour all the "ay to "torritio", "trer;tondru e", "wacr. oni va.'Llc" ~ .. l i d "blue bla&fta". The r:rcat ma,1orit~ of obeexrore saw the objeet a ;,ninst a clear rll'.~.-or nir,ht k~l Ti:-'e of da v ai r-)lted. Abrut t'\..,- t:O,irda aG ;.:ar1v obS'!rmtions wore ret'orted u.t n ir-!1t as in the daj. The r e aro , of ca.ar so, ~r.y r.tore opportunitiee for o: Sr'J"t"inr, t hinGI durir:r: ".;h.-:-<!a.: . T~o :--ost ro:-ular hrn1rs W)ro fror, 12 noon to 5:00 P~:. &nd fran 7 a00 ;.t~. to llaOO :' . 1'. at n 1.~tt Vor~ ff'Tol ( 6 only) cbeer"Jat 1 on s r1r-:-n !i&.d e !~ro.-, 5 aOO to tho tiCUal ho~l:'S Of SUDGi'~e colored object. T irt: oh s rvor s :-oported "w ito" !lnc! laid silver. Ovor 70 peroent deoorlbad hlittcr:r.r:, shi . lr'mir.escot:t, fl~e-like airrcr-11k!J or othor Tery brir..ht objeots. 0:1l~ ~ix indi vidt!als sa~d b lt. a}: or dark t. Share. fver half desoribed the ob jeet as either "rollnd", c111o-shaped", "spherical" or "ciroulo.r". O:he~ description s were aimilar. Very tf!IW obsezsvera saw anr d1at1r.ot1ve shape. Silt. The r.a~orit:," or obser"'rorS did r.ot Dpeoif~r the objects' 11~e. Of t hoae '::i o did over half 1aid it was leas thal'l 10 foet in its larr,eat dir.v ... llaion y ompa red it with a di:Je, a lN:lp , n riot, n weathor ballon, a baseball, etc The uorda used by ouacr'\""Cra to deecribe tho appec.ranoes of the un1dont1!'1ed o'.Jjeot:; fall i:-:to o. surprisir.r,ly uniforLt pattorn. l'ho objeGta were uaaally reported aa beint; far &W.l' arall, br!.;j1t artd without a di1tinotive shape Thev were u.ually aeen a~ainst a cloar sk y Sncirlooru iJ1 vici . Ucr.\Qrt.:~ dutt I'Ort ~ ''' ~peed. About half judr,ed ttat the apned was leos t mile1 an hour. The other. half or the jud(#:1onta vuri"d frot.1 500 ~il":; an hour all the Yl&y to "territia", "trmcr.drus", "in om ooivo.'Lle" (,11d B~alccar.oun.d ar:nJ.nst w~.i.ob v1mred. Tho r:rrat nt&~orit: of obeervora saw the ob~ct a ;,ninst a clear dn~: or n ir,ht cY.y. Abrut t"\vo-+.:.!~ds as ~anv obs~r'mtions wore rei'Orted a.t n ir-!tt as 1n the da~. The r e aro, of crur so, nnr.y More opportt:nitiea for o~.arvinr. t hine durir.: "v}~n c!.n:. T~o :-;est ro='1lar . hC'11trc wGro rror, 12 noon to 5:00 Pl:. and fran 7a00 ;.t~. to llaOO l'.l' at n1~tt. Vor r('w (6 only) cbeet;at1ons \'It'~" ;,ade !'r0%"'1 )tOO to 7a00 !l.!'., thn ucua.l ho'..l:-s of sunn<-~ colored objeot. T irt:r ohs:rvors :-oported "w ite" tlild . eaid silver . Ovor .70 peroent deoorlbed ~li~tcr.:.r. r,, shi~. ls)mir.eecoi.t, tlar..e-like oirrcr-11k!J' or othor Tery brir)lt ol)jeots. 0:1l~ ~ix individuals sa~d b lt;, c: or dark lha_ce. ( ver tw.lf desorihed the o'bject as ei t~ r "ret,nd" d11o-shaped" "spherical" or "c iroulo. r". O~,he:-descri pt 1 ons were aimila.r. Very ffiW obse1 vera saw any d1at1r.ot1ve shape. Si& The r.a~orit~ or obaer70rs did not opeair the objects' i&e. Of t hoae .. -:ho did over half a aid 1t was le sa tha."'l 10 f~ot in i t s ~,. o~pered it with a di::-Je, a laz.:1p, a dot, o. weathor ballon, a baseball, eto. Tho \IOrda used by ouacr'\"Cra to deeoribe tho appec.ranoes of the . un1.derxt11ed ojjecst3 tall i=-rto a surpris1r.r,ly unifot"tl pe.ttoiT.. The . objeate were uauall~,. reported aa beint; far without a d11tinotive ah&pe. !hev were u.ually aeen a hainst a oloa.r sk y lb&1neer1nL ~1via1ar . Kemoraatc!\un ! ~etort Nc. : :c l"D &nd Wertt rrf'C'!'lCr.tl~,. l"~n fer loll thall a r.til"!'Ut~. . Fi:est of all, it !.r. (Jtvi\ HS th~t it '".'O\ ld ''~uA117.~ l 1e ir.\nosoible !'or ohlervora to ar.ke reliable estbH\t;~'l or the apoed, distnnoe, er aile or 8\:o h at!nllua objoets. It ie not poso!.blt:' to estir,atA aec\tr8toly t~nl~se the objoet is irlar.tified f1r~t o!>jeot 1o Q. ,10!\th{ .. r uo.lloon, s.n r-Go. or a ~ri;:!. .... l o :fC1J. en.n t o i iJr. cpeed e.nr\ distnncG \':ith 00!10 ucs~rec ef r....~cUr&:!~.' In ~t:C . sitt:.c.tione ~1atanoe is judced Oil the uaeis of lalc:JP.'n si:o, ~nd apood on t:..e u:.~.~;.s ~ran eatir.1ate of distance plus tho anc':tlnr c har:ro in ~osition. It m\tat be oor.cluded, thereforo, th1t most of t he stat~:~-,nts of' speed, diate..no~, o.l titude a.nd aize are entirely unre 1 i o ble a~d should l)e . dlarer;arded. This is doubly true or oba<1rvations nnde at r.ir,ht. The objeata l(!en tl&~' aotuall:' have been at WI)~ c r eat distaooea. or the~ a~ have been relatively oloso b In the lattnr case, or orurse, they oould also have b een ~ite Sll'lall. Becondl~' it ie probttblo ,that individutll::; w~to !JO.lf objoetn in da~rl1;1lt were 1.n m~' Cf\&.,s obserrlnc either the rofl~otior. cf the BUD on a shim~ eur face or else lookir. E; diroctly at a li:)lt Gouroo of ~ir,~ intecsitr. A1rorart thmtsolvos, w:1on vicwod a.cain:;t c. clear sl::, nro refloat!.nc tho sun's rn~s d!.reotly. Thie f&Gt was rooo~ni&od durit:G the reoent WILr by oa.":!oufla~:e experts who plaoed briGht li~hts on the leadin;, ed of the wi.n.;s of a1rora1't on axrti-subtulrine patrol in order to O<Xloeal the rrcm the eyes or submarine lookout. If obaorvera, durinh daylir)lt houre, were actually seein; lir;hta or retleotlona or the sun. thie wruld aoocnt in l&rf:8 measure for therlr 1nab111t~, to identity the objects. On the other hand, if the~' were aotually aee1nc ene~r r,1sa1le~ tor example. the ma .. ;oritj' or reporta Bmr;ineeri. 1:1e1o . Ulr.oJWld\e\ I\oport ltf ; tfCIJ:;~)U..l!D .UNCLASSIFIED ot dllfl1r.ht a1cht1ne;a ahould hc.\--e boen or dark objentR . . It 11 posai'Llo, they expected all &t..rial o!)jeots t o bft brirht aa tc~ the r.ot,,rc or a vaual stir.n1lua t.~ t ~w~.l~ ol1 oit reporta of un1dent1f1ed flyinr. ob~P.~nts i.o th.nt ir. the du~i.r.o tt. "r.old be the rt!flect1ar& o~ the 3u n frm an n1rorart, a \-:ir.d-blcv:n objeot, ,to., and at ni:ht aone ~!i ro~t li-ht s C\lrce, suC'..h as a . . en~i:1e .,xhr.nst, the 111\t on a \' 'fH\t er hnlloon, a rtanninr, 11.- ht or. G.tl c..!.rorr.ft, n :-:eteor, ~o., or li;;h~ fra;, tho cn.und or the r.oon r efloated baol: b: b!.r~lr; or P!.Ec;~asi.ar. oi' s.ov: ,ro..l S~oc_i.f.io J:.o~.:~.s Di cusaio:.l of a ffJW Gpec1fic re1,orts will s er~ to illustrate o ane of tho pointe brou ht u p earlier, I&rticularly sane of the factors that ~uke oLsflrV&tiona of aerial rhenornna inAccurato Incident . :ro. ~1 o.nd 1(~3. In one O:lSe (Inveatir,ation !{o. f;l) a civilian osHplo~."r'8 at f!iok&T.l F!old flt 0900 ob:~erwd what lo d like a ballo0n with a rr!:-:ht object ::usrendoti l .elo,.: it. It -:-:otl.S estiNtnu t o b'l &t a.bcut 6,000 !'t. The br1:-)1t object o.:>!le&red to reflect the eun':s ra:, .. a at tinea. A1't8r a ~lirrutes he looked uW!Lj' and then coHld not fir.d th~ ob.~eot a ::ai n In another oase (!k. 163) r~serve o 1'1'icer ~t Van Uuys, California, abrut an h our bofore darlr saw !:.n objeot that lookod CC'~ )'('~at like a h c.t!r. :Io 1a tar ccr.c b.: c!oc.l "th:t it l:&:: .!lt 0. croc.t hoi ~)tt. .\t ri: :::t it had the cclor of a fluorescent oloctric lit;ht b1~t ' . .teotu: e o:""ln_:e aa t~ ~n we&t dOJrD and then rat~r euddenl!r beof\T.\8 1nrls1ble Both o1' theae ol)jeot owld well have been ju~t what th~r &}peared to reaeble 1\oat ballooaa The wn low 1n the a } v in b~h oases. UNCLASSIFIED lar,Jn eer r; D Yia1cm ctlll Jport lo. U:r.E April 19LS Re!'loatlon ot the eun'a ra~ .. s na~" hAvo r;iTon an tmuounl appoarnnc o t o the dljeot. Tho teooD.l oe.ae illustrates tho unoflrt~in~J of jud~ents ot heir;ht or diata:1ee. The obj.ot looked 1\ er.r, tJut who11 it ro:-:1ait:ed 1n rieW ror ~ h<'-lr the obsorter deoided tt&&t it nuot b e VftrV far Y Actually he probably had nothinr, on t :hic h to b"se an accurate Inoidente 61 and 6la. . fwo oa.aplee laW approxi.N.tcly 12 objecto nyinr: in foma.t:cm nt 'ilat they judr;ed to be 2000 or 3000 foot altitude o1or Lo~an 22a30. !hey ~ere jud.ced to be abr,u t tho ci&e of I'iccons u nci looke d ,-:lito All f'CSJ r obaeiV!r a,:reed that these objects looked a.nd a.cted ec111Bwhat 11ke birds but &1 1 thour,ht they were not birds booe.\15 e th~,. appear~tl t o tra-vel mtoh faeter than uird. A.a Tre hnw ooeu, 1t 1a not posailJle to j udea spood aoeuratcl~r nclor tho.Caldition& of these obscrw.tia1a, i.e., \thon loakinc at object y actually have been a floolc or ~J te birds flyinc at a relativ~ly low altitude and rei'lootinr; the lights of t L.e oity. Inoidante ,0, )Ob, ~o and L.r;a, ~b.l hpo, l~d. Durinr, tht ... l paae or time (about half ar. hour) on the n1 ;:ht ot 7 January 19J.e obeervera at Lockbourne Air Foroe Base, obaer""'rs nt Cllrrton County AFB and tt. 1ilot of an a irorart n:ri nr !'ror.-1 De.~ ton to Wft.ahinr;tm reported an unidentified objeot in the al:y. All reports ar;reed u to. the oolor ar.d r,eneral appeo.rBrloe of the object, A.nd U to the faot that ita 11r,ht &t titMS!,'.Yl.T. .. hkl throu(;h & li~ht 0\ierotu::~ All ar;reed also t}'at it was aeen to the aouthweat. However, ~sons at all three looatiODI judced the objeot to ue OillL ~.ft'JW. ~ilf'S .aw&j ' .. . To all or thtrl 1t lod.:ed :notiotlles3 at tim~, tmn nr~arod to ca!D aad lo1e elovation. A TerJ similar objeot aetm b' Dt.noroue UNCLASSIFIEG ~n,tn .. r1n~ D11a1on Jlerno ruul\111 Rl rort No. a! April 1949 UNCLASSIFit:: peracma At Fort Knox arad other tCJtQI in Jtontuol..'}' a rem hours earl1~r. All aw it 1D the DCl.lthwe~t and 111t.ay thruht it wna only a few niloc away. ~hu CQ111nnd1nc Offioor at Goorlr.an f'ie lJ. oL~rvod it rar 1 l/2 hcaara, (beginnint; at ll~c). Dur1:tr; thi.a ti~f) it so~inhl:' r..,._1:2od atntionar:.' It wae ahaeed by tour National Ounrd pilotn, one ot wh~ ornshed arter ha'rillb been up to 20.000 f9et. It was also repc.:-ted by poraona in Lftxln~on, Madiaonrllle, and Blizabethton'tl. !he aicnificant f!lct thttt tr.:8rr:;ee fron theae reports ar:ain ie the inability to eati~te diotanoo. It appears pcaaibla that ;l(Jrlonl over parte of Kentuol=:r and Ohio r.'l&J' ha .. ,e bnen seein tho sane aatron~ioal it to Le relatively near his o\ib looat1on. lnoident No. 172. A Nllltitr.al CJua rd ?ilot rf'b : m i ~ to Far r,o ~lorth Dnkota, in a F-~1 at appro:dnatal:r 2100 houro Sf\".f o. c::-tall lir;ht 1~ t ho air belo.1 hin. Ba waa then in the tra.i'fio rx .. t-:ern. i:e uivod Tho li~ht ~aincd tiltitu,ie. The pilot "c!w.aed it up to lh,ooo fcot, 1.-.Rl:~ .. n:-; -.riwa paa1e1 at it and utteupts to ram 1 t as he ol inhed. Ho f i nully 8e~ral inferenaea oan be drawn fra-1 tho seToral rAporta about t his 1no1dent In the 1'1 rst place when it 11 nir)lt, and a pilot ia turninr, 10 ateeply, and go1nr, auoh violent aorobatica, that he scr\etirtoa blaaka ClUt, as w" the Otlae h8re, it wru ld be Y~tr:1 d1ff1C1llt if not itlposaible to ~udce at thn sliMe tiM t anoth..r object wa doir.r.. In the aeonnd ~laee, 1.t t.'le pilot kept hia eyea intently on the object, aa al.ao wo.a. the oaae here, he 14 haTe ,;reat d1tt1oulty in bowin~ a.nct . report1ur. later wtat he h:lmoel1' waa 41oin~. to loa a ot orieutatian. In other word, it 11 1mpc. a1ble to infnr UNCLASSIFIF.D Bnclnoerillc D1na10D . . llwaorudum r.eport Iro. l~l:EXD-69l,..lllD 1\&Daunring ar nnt 1'\&l~.UYnrinG-It 1 <J:!. te l'oaei ble that it 1!2\ply ollmbinc .teeply on a rel.t 1vel!' stra1;;ht ccur oe. a.1 o..'"t aG rrn; ld be taken by a lit~ ted weather ba Uonu. ~ a .Ntter or t'aot. a lichted weather balloon wee releasE"d l1y the Farco Weather Statler. within 10 minutes ot the tir.'\tt the lir,hL fls firat air,hted b~ t}e P-51 pilot. It 1 the opinion of the wtiter that t:tie li(jlted baloon ftns 1ly oould ta ve a .,c:ru nted for alll ot the pilot's obee~atione. (It ehould he r.oted that the standard 30 1noh and {;lj inob weathnr balloons hae a vortioal apeed or about 000 and 1100 'tt.finin. rospeoti~"lr.) :-nen.l D1ilouaa1on o.nd !l.l:":'J'\l\r~' In the ~rooedinc aootion tho :,.~-:"othesis has h eon o.dvnnoed ~hnt noet re:x;rts or unidontif'ied flyinr. objects huvo bE>C::l tho roDUlt ot persons fa111nc to 1deDt1f7 t~m1linr phenanona. such ns refloctior.e tre~n llri;ht .urraoee in the cia:, or libhta in a nit;ht al~;. It 1a believed thil t tH!.s explanation will acoount for many of tho reports. wa- .... IC1'18 roports .:: .ouhtodk' hnvo other uxplanat1on. Vrt.1Go The tem Yertir;o covere a lar~ r,roup of rnieoella.nerus phnc:men& 1rloludinc a1 r aiok:neaa, dis bolio r in one' icetrul"~nta, and Irtial lo!l or orionto.tion. The conditione t nder r.hioh Gone of the obaerYatlona cr f'l:,inc objeote were made wure such that they oould t.ve produoed lose or orientation on the part of an obeervr TLi a 1 peo1al~ true for t~u experience ooaurrin~ at cir:ht s.nd those 1D whioh attar.~ wero r.\Clde to "ohaae the oLjeot rol~tive. It tho onl~. outside reterenoe ia a point ot llcht, and lJ0t h the dbaerv~r and tho objsct obae1~d are ~ovinc, it would bo praationlly Smpoeeible under orta1n oond1t1ona to tell which wae r..ovinr; and not, or to iAr&te out the two 1 t ia hard or.~ r;h UNCLASSJFit.u . ID&lneerinc Uivia1on J.ler:tOr&nci\.11:1 Report No. lrXU-69J~lSD UNCLASSIFIED : to ny a (,ood {'llrluit curve on another aSrorart in r,ood dayl1~ narnple, cuoh leas to oloao on a olitar;,r 11r,ht at n1~ht The diffi 0\~ 1 t . t. 'due .oh1etly to the 1nab111t~t to judr;e distanos or speed of a poin t ICllroe ot 11cht . radio and newapapor roports load a few peo~le to 1r..a.g i:1e th<TJ aro aee1nr; thil1ce they aro not see1nr.. The effeot on most l'~ople is tc. dOl'ti'en their eritioal jud~ont. Under such oondit1c.ns we are r.10ro 'likol:r to ovcrlo<?l.: CF:rtain factors, und ficd it oasier to aocopt ~hA sur,r;o:rted oxplanation unorit!..o~ll:' The o~ooted res .lt WO\!lc.l be tc nrJ.;o the reports o~ rnoc~ ol.Hh. l vor s .;l !. t'llt l y loss a.ocurate J-.h::. n if they hnd l~ovor h cW"<.l ro:,orts u: other a Eieoii:G "fl:i:\c nm:co:-s". . PartiC?ularl: wl~u the atir:rulus objoot is !\laz.~ or ill-defined , porso:;s tend to see it as resbl1n:: \.i1at.ever ia IL!r.:;~sted to t~m. Cnr;,iohnel ~t. al., ror ~le (1932) showed indi-vidualG alu,>le doeicns tAnd -:'lve of &n object. l.'ihen the individue1la drtJw the ues1r:n frcz znanory, theJr drc\o. 1 t to re-.nble wha tcvar 1.. he object wao t hllt had been aur,gested tc thee Preoeclsnt. An h1ator1cal preoedant of\..'1 ho fa.1nd for noct errors ot hullsn obaer-vation. AlthO\Jf.';h the writ.,r has not tried to nnl:e ~ historical survey of re:.,orta of earlior unidectified aerial objeots, he feel aure that thero have been many 1uoh repor-ts in years past, part1oularly durinf; and 11tter World riar I. It 1a poao1ble tlat aane obeervera &;," have seen s:.all objoota carried alott ~, stronc: Wi:lds, or ol,jcata droppod rrom airoru1~. Dita ot papor, arnall oartona, Hto., r.tay oo- o&t1onally be carried to a ocma1derable height bt stronc winds. Air- It ww ld be 1Jnpoe 1ble to UNCLASSiC ~Lu . l:nc1neerlnc D1v1a1on . ,._,orudum 'keport Uc. UNCLASSIFIED -eltlr.ate the diatanoe, alae or speed of s\~ch objeot.s, and it wa.lld be eaa~" to 1'a11 to r~oot;ni !e thotl. Cnno !u&iCI;G lt 11 CC!JClUded b: the ~ritor thAt thore o.re sufficient ~cyc:\olocloal provide ?l~ua1b