Jlf\"t: Of' ur.o . 3 llo.rch 1950 trra tic .(\:. to S to tl) ;"(!T.: (W C'tD!":F 'CV,",'t'ICIJ Grou.'ld voscended vertic&lly before Source observed the err a tic flir.h t of this li ':9ht. Cotll)Dred 1 t to i.o\;Dc \dnci~w at nirht viewed fron 30 yards. ...:led 9 ~.farch 1950 -Sclf'ridt;c toJdor.) Ill 171el (I) NCAOQ\IAATCRS CONnNENTAL . AIR COMMAND All FORCe IASC. NCW ~IC IUBJI1lta Uniclelltltied Flyiq Object Director or Intelligence, Headquartera United Statea Air roroe, Waahinlton 25, D. C. 1. Attached tor your information are two narrati~ reports con- .oerniac radar aightiq or an unidentified rlyin object. a. the tact that the object was aighted on the acopea ra4ara ia conaiderecl wortbJ of special note. ot two (2) ancl ia quoted ot technical e~erta, this headquarters, was in part tor your conaideraticna a. ~ile it is relatively well known that various ionospheric conditione cause reflections at lower frequencie3, it is usually consid- ered that these layers have no effect at the frequencies used b,y the two radar seta mentioned exceot when temperature inversion or other atmos- pheric or tropospheric conditione CP.uae ducting and spurious reflections. Presumin1 that such idealized conditione existed at the time of these obaerwatiqna, it ia conceivable that an actual small change in physical lateral motion in reference to the radar set could cause a aee~ngly 1reater change in relative position of the 'object' as observed on the radar acope due to the varying path lengths the radar energy takes to aDd from the 'object' as a fUnction of the frequency sensitive layers aDd angles ot incidence of the pro~ogated wave. However, the great dif- tereDCe in the frequencies of the L-Eand CPS-5. and the S-Band CPS-4 radar aets aDd the evideDt correlation of observations between these two aeta alaoat rule out the possibility of anomalous propagation effects. Further, the magnitude ot the velocity and accelerations of the three dtaenaional mo~meDta'ot the 'object' reported are beyond the capability or known hea~er or li~hter thn air ~hicles 1D controlled flight. be "Alao aubstantiatiDg thia unlikelihood, is the fact that the 'object' waa reported aa remaining atationary in free apace tor a Man-period ot two lllnutea "Further ftlidity is lent to the contention ot the reports bf atate .. ata that tirat indications, which were at high altitudes, were tri'Tct:AssrFIF.n uDlden\ltled r~la~ Objeot, oleerwd OD the C1'1-4 helr;t.t-tlnder berore bein~ obserftcl on the CPSfi ---------e-ur .. tltaaee aadar 11t. th1e follows lor.tc ancl tiel~ e,;perlenoe, 1aae- .uoh ae the h1&h altitude coYera~ or t~ CPS-5 11 known to be poor ancl the antenna la aot oa~able or be1nc automatically tlltocl as ln the o~se ot the CPI-4 oa which the controller may t11t the antenna within wicle 11-'tatlona to obaer~ aa, hi~h altitude or hi~h an~le objecta. It 11 to be aotecl that prenoua tielcl expttrlence with a CPS-5 surveillance radar aet hae lnclicatecl that tarcet~ ~ickecl up at ra~es and altitudes lndloated in eubjeot report would pro~ably have a reflection aapect ratio la the order or cnitude or a B-29 or ~reater. tn the absence ot detailed nrtical and horiaontal oonr- ace obarte tor the epeoitio radar aitea ancl oamprehenaive weather reports tor the area d~rins the period or time theae observations were notecl, a 1101"1 o lete etucty or eftluation at this tlme ia not teaaible ao kDGWn electronio phenomena, o~ le~ral eleotroDic ph could canceiyably. procluce .. rfttiona oonred b,y the attachecl reports." nor combinations all or the ob- ' The rrequenoy or report or this nature hae recently inoreaseda laetruotiODa have therefore been directecl to all radar installations within thia oo ... nd to report aoope aightinca.or unusual objects. a. It la reo that reports ot unidentified object aiptinga .e reoona14er4 tor eubwiaaion troa all Zone ot Interior Air Force agencies. ICil !D COJDIARDDfG GDIRALa 1. leport Ot let Lt. I leport ot let Lt. F.I.Parker r.l.llattaon All Acfiutant ~eneral JJJt;JJ AT 3 Y k!AK lNTEJt \'AU). . J)()D D&FTER 12 YEARS. ' DNC(AsSIFIED UMCLASSlF.l ... rm :n~.{T Or' on the t1rat occasion or noticin: t'"ae atro.t}t;CJ o~,1cct 3 : .e.r 50, at 2S05, I had just C0'!\8 trom the Ssltrid;;' Ali'll Officers' Club .nd aa I turned down i"iri..;ht J l vd. on the lvay to thCJ ~in t;ate I noticed a atr&n!;e oi.,j3ct directly over t h e Post Exch.a!l~e 3ld:-:, desoer..din: vertically at a slow rate. I stopped the oo.r and watched this object descend to an ap~roximate hei;;ht or 5,000 fe9t, :lOverinc there for a!?:?roximat~ one ( 1} ,~nuts then ?roc~cdi~ in a weoterly dirsction to approxirr.atel:r t'ii'ty (50) r.li.les west or ~r ?OBi tio:t. Then the object turn9d south a:td tl~ a?,roxirnately fifty (50) niles, then turned around and flew back north for o.pproxi~tely 1'i1~y (50) miles, t:wn stopped and disappeared from ey view. T!w above took plaoe in tour minutes (time checked with ~ personal ,.,.rist wntoh) True p~epective was not possible b~co.use it did not diminish in size or intensity as it ip.creo.sed its distance frou ~. The ~vus as stated above but I ca~1not state the ri~uro s :ivon above as accurate, because or the rals~ ~rospective. J.n air)lane flaw b y on an O.??roximo.te headinz of 285 at 3,000 feet just after the object moved on a hsadiDG of 270. It was ~asy to dster:nine the relative size and the dinlnishin.:; size or this aircraf t (C-47), as it ~rocsedCJd on its oourse and completely faded at &??roxi~tely eic:;ht {8) !niles. The object was distinr.;uished f'rom an airplane by its vertical descent and its reat s peed in the lateral plane. It ~ms distincuis~ed from heavenly bodi~s jy its rapid chanGe in rel~tive position fro~ the vertical to the horizontal. Also its abrupt chan~e in course. The only 7r&Y I can d.e~cribs ths lir;ht f'rom t his object is by comparin;; it to the 116ht of' a !louse window at nir;ht, at a distance ot thirty (30) yards and the yello-..li.sh glow it :;ives off . T!le objeot W a sliGhtly darker color and a zreater intensity tha11 a house li~ht as mentioned a~ove. The objeot did not licht up the area beneat~ it, altr.ou;:h it seemtd to burn with an extremely intense dull li;ht, nor did it li::;ht up the surround:.~ libht haze. In wa.tohin~ t~'lis object I wo.s una.ble to deter,ni n e tile sizo, t:1e inte:.'lsity o.ud the size o f the li:;ht did not c:uul o. ~ reciably (not noticeabl9 to 1~) d..tri n::; the entire ti:ne I wo.tc!1ed 1 ts lmVC:Mnt. Althcu.;n I hr.d just cor:1e fro!'l a stas party at the ~fficl!rs' Club, I was completElly sober, havin;; only one ;~lass of bee r t!urin: the e::.tire ewnin~. Jooauss of' this, I did not r.ention this exp8rience until .... nt I sa.v strant;e happcni!lGS on the rnd:l.r sco!J"S (A!~/CPS-4 !lnd JJ: CPS-5 l\ndar). T ~ yeo 'R l~TERV A 1$ ~ OWNGRADED A r.~ A ~S1f\E0 p DECLASS1FIF.l1 :'. FTf.H 12 YEARS. UNC:L~ .. DOD 1>lli o2o0.10 T:1' socond c:ri!lnoo ".'ro.s n.a tollcrxs. I went on dut~r a.s Controllsr at 1G30, 6 ' j .. L\rc:i 1050. .\t 1943 hol.lrs B. bli;,.> W!\C :?Ointed out to !1\0 t'tnt 'ra.s at 270, sixt:r-ei:;ht (68) mil es, '~.0,000 t'ect :.asured by the }\.11 scopo). .ie (Cp rut d I ) wstc:1ed t his bll ~ and it did not ~ve for thrae (3) :":ti , tlu:n fa1~Hl. At 2002 hour3 the tarcet was picked U? a in and it 'vna ~t ~o,cco f eet, lateral ~vement was dot~ct~c! in a northeasterly direction; a-; t~1is ti:::te I estimated the spe~d at 1,500 ~.~.h. At 200G ra a tnr~et a?,eared at S50, fifty-~i~ht (58) ru.l: s a.t 45,000 feet. There wer3 f o .l r (4} jet aircrlU't flyin.:; in tms looo.l area at t!1is ti .ne at 24,000 f~;1t aDd the altitude of the jet aircraft on a beo.rin: or :5~0, t :lirty - eight (38) miles, was checked at 25,000 f'9et on th~ :rti scope, tm pilot atated tho.t he was flyin!; at 24,000, f'eet. This lends support of the accuracy of the r~I 1 _ The stran object faded o.fter one minute. Cautain and Lt came in and I lef't the radar s co'le s At 2020 hours I retu~ed to the HRI scop e to s~e an objoot at 350, thirty-ei3~ {38) ~les eli~ from 30,000 fe to 45,000 fost in one (1) minute, wit:t no lateral lTX:>Vement det~ cted. I went off duty and lef't t h e GCI room at 2025 hours Cin the first occasion it was cloudless, lrodere..tolJ' bri:;ht noonli~ht ni~ht, ~th a liGht hazeJ on the second occasion, it \7aS clear ''rith unrestriots d visibility and no moon. am 27 years of e and have boen a rated ?ilot in the US~\F since October 1942, havins over 2, 900 hours flyin:; t!.me. I have had seven (7) months experience a.s a ~ado.r Controller. 1st Lt, US.U' nniiiM\Tt'!~ A n1'i"n A"' " vr ' n. r~tt.fl AlB I DOD Dlli 5200.10 UNCLASSIF\ED ot the Ail' Force UNITED STAtts AIR F,..ORC~! Saehinatan tJBJFI;Tt "PROJ!CT 11RUD0!" Unconventional TJPe ~ 1rcratt (Unexplained "~lip" on Radar Scopes Caused b7 Metallic Tar1eta) SPECIAL DIQUIRY 1n1 Oe"eral Air Materiel Conmand Wript-Patteraon Air Force e.ee 0&7tcn, CJ11o fhe attached copies or a apot report rep.rdinl the above Buhj~ct, 10 Uarch 1950, are tOJ'Warded tor 7our 1nt ion and file. Spot Rpt d td 10 Mar 50 /a/ J.AJ!.ES F. X. O'CONNELL Lt Colonel, USAF District Commander t:l'i&ht-Patt .. eon AFF, Da7tan, Ohio. 5tb Diatrict Cttice of Special ...... Patteraon Al'""B, D&Jtan, Ohio. 1. !hia CCIIIMDC! 11 ot r~tdltra a ot further intOI"''ation Ire. the stand- \~auld like lt. Alao WOU er daring like t .o know t th~ ~ather condit1~a (in and immediate~ pro iug. a. Uld tlg" plan ob8cr 1n!l unusual, or did t~oy Aft1 unuual turh&lence tn the area? UNCLASSIFIED -L~ NO IIIII UNCLASSIFIEi!f 1. stnOPSISt 1Dt tt. R~J!o.r ~l'.'~.,:r. 8IJJ ContxQii 6'Elot 4JJ 1: ~ AJ:tt Foree t~.n, Uioh. , and 1st Lt. , e~.':~ chttiea, 0~..3 ~r,anit;a.\i'tl!, ~ en 9 l!arch 1950 (JbnrfCJ L, radar so~ee ,::n that the "BUpl' <t1aS ot an ~:mt~LCn! t-~ s;3 e'J.ru'ltnft. ot "Blip" llao Noorded by on11D~ pe-."''om!'IJ. aa du~ cturtnc the ~mad period cl ttm.: . 2. i=~n Y.tUJ Oil dutJ.r mth the lQat 11.~ar SooUm CD 9 ~J 'Gl. th~ pmitlcma or J.coal jot a.:J.roratt. Obea~ -'1aiW ccfttrol DOl'ltal until aJ'.Ol'CXi:antoq 19~ hours, at T:'h:tcit . a t1Jl1Sp Oil tbe IIJ.lU s~pe e:t o.pprc5JC&toly J ~ and :&s:i:Cdth ~ojdtng at.aGdy at 2700, G!S ml~s. '':Jl=t!.'" brill 1M\. tor a row soocmdo, 'eben fndod, rr:~d car.10 tr....cJ: at a dU'f.G4\.:ri.: looatiG\ fiw (5) ndmtae loter. J.t this tim ~her 1~1..~ cparatora the tt.alip am questi.cMd. it. 'tho,. aotJmtecl sp3ed, 61..cb not. call tounc!Gd bll~ nam,iJGd. to be aeotm ~co tl!ks per h~: fa a oceb'1nat.1.ca ot "41W'tt!Ctll. spa<Jd azKl bor1~cr .. t~ a~cci ~.sse! on var.lo:l.rl frca tbG 'fha a;~>l:tpa SP.8 .. Ql.;2irved 'Wi~ . p1olDS up tba Hocrd tima to r.JOVa l.atcNll;y to a beBring .ot 5'-!S to bo oonsisto:lt tor about tbrco (3) minutos w1tb the t:ppj:u durinc this ~ricx! or tic,, diti not ~0 the ~nfcr- m1i1on Ho:~NSr h13 ~it)' c. Eod him to contact var10WJ jet lifJhtoN 1n th3 &1'8& to d.atol'lld.M their altitude, ~Bl'iq, atd b3 me4 aa ~. 4at1ble cboolc on tba ~nr eoope. tban lett tt. Ric2GJ' aoa:t oM turned fi'Mr oont,rollC:Jt work to DOWNGRADED AT"~ YF.An INTERVALS DECLASSlFIF.D :~. FT~:n 12 YEARS. ' DOD DIH ;,~ou.l 0 UNCLASSIFIED s~. Vmtatlnt1anal1W8 /dJ.oroft Cnutt 1V ltltalJio l'111'83"t.s) M. tbe\ tba zu1A1' enm~ rood~ 2os ftrioue fHdintp ~ oourd:1.~ua the var:ta~ acopo~. mma t.l.mt the UJrJJ!~A'1ried "lllip", ~w r.ot.io!l4 a "YGrY n.p44 dnoraaoa 11l ol.t1twlo Cl urnl" eco U. wa no\ nated. Tb9 "lllip" ,.:as ~ p:l.ot:Jd tt.l ~ t..!"l!'o;d.'\1!\t8~""" 20h6 CD the "PPX 8oop3. . . to taoilitate of baar~ &\14 sar:~, a '6()0 0'1Jiola ciiTlcied m:.o fc.war CC!,'~ (l\,.r.drarr'Gt3 1 tha firat ~u'ldl-a, , 1.0 1 ?:O't\t ,, and 2'10 to 360 :or. 1~ the being cardinal am-tlh, east, oo.tt~ ar.c1 n ot thC! entries tro:a t.\1a "PPI" soor..:l pha11tca n!l'tJPa.fbJ 20t~71tcm , phantom ah-otm'"~J 2cl.'3 hours, 146 5.S mtl.eSJ ~o.JS het'r'0 79 mtles. Th l Nac1i!2S~ of "Tml" a -lc~ rc,w~1. r~t eh,ooo teeta ~hours, 165, JS 1-~:J, ~3,000 ra~! 2l.Ca ho~.:-e, li;o<', 39 mtlesl .. 27,000 teat1 2109 hott~a, l~JO, 41 milas~ 29,0C:J rootJ ZU.O mnes, 36iooo toatJ 5 llmlm; W was t.mn oat r~ a ot time, h~vor, at. .va.t"~Cl.S tim!e tl:t~cu~ll- out the 8Y'On1ng, a mao (1) to (') sooorn obsarv.lti~ -.-=a rwk9 o! tho ttn'donti t1Gd "D\1p. . iotil ~d. that b apprcrzla:ato auo ot the nnidon'hUi3cl ftJ)li,~ , .. aulit ~ c:ltdlar to a B .. 36 c.nd .. th~t, tbe IIJll ip" nt t.~ a~ntq T-OG t ha voctc~ ot ~rioU9 j'lt tlgbtara i."l zonas 2 ttm 4. D.lGo'brJ).i tl\at tM 8ft'at!A) YerM.oal I'Mdlnga . Oi\ K-,e part o.r the ."B)J.pr, as 1\ appeared to oocu.r aft;ct the radar ,-;-o,:.ld bold ~ em tho . ;.;.-. ~ a P'rlocl ot s8'Ntf'l IJGC~ to a ~:\t~ a~ tunhftr eabim~ av~s t,o be 1!20 m11Ge an hour hozrl~cnt.nl to . 25~ ail'es pen-hcur e'CtGrv"'tl t~ c.ct:l~:~.y t.o be in ftri.ioal rcscl' nga. tlul.t tha 'Etadar Obsw.- w.tim P.OC'a\ ~ in And th3 rnadi11~1 o:1 th3. lor;a ~ tbs tiaaa ak:.ma~ conaarnsd tteuld W:l7 ~ it ~e.e caused b;r tha ma.n ~ld.n~ rooordinas to lnva b18 wa~ch p 1tton m'C'L!'! 9oth recr~tllad 1,.000 t03t. alt1tud., t1cns Tlj:~!no a r-z~ii3r .ot soc~!) on tbJ port or tb3 urdd<m~t-.led "Dl~p". Tha :-3p1d ch:lns~s in ,-ertiool t.rtnald OOC\11' \nt1 en 30,000 t.nd 45 000 teat. At ona time, L~. . the unident~cl "Blip to a d1sta~ ot 1:20 ld lea ataticn !n Zona 4 1n u ol.cae 88 38 w'a in Zono 4. I.t. that cm P~, ., U.VOh 1950, at appi-Oldmteq 23CS , att. he had loft a stag portJ in \he Ott~' Club tud llt.\ln~ bl4 ~em boer~ tlll courae ot t1D cmm.Sng, he had ~cd. n 11(1~ ill the ak\1'. , at tb5a tdm, was dtiv:Lnc hiD ibe ' Club the 'dtrac\iet\ of tha PI on Sol.fridr,o ASr rcroe He hi car dcrnn ancl obael'Yod the J.iBht, th~ dM aut brl'ltaMJ but dascribad to bG the r.pproxlmali'-' oo1cr ana eiu ot an eloct,rlo ligbt, ~tb1n a how e~O'i1ing throuah 0. ~ else wildcr.r at a distance of about 50 to 75 teet on a dark ld.cll\ The linh' deaoend:lna GftJf the Base and at ftnt : p:: t.o ba a f.l.ara bU\, d to thl colcr of the light, 1 t .. 1! it oOQld not; bavo a f'l..uo. stopped hlD oar and t1la 11gb\ .. fha light; procood.Gd. qst,.,;artf boldiac tbe BID!I tor appranJ:Ate17 lJD to 50 mlea. The light; ta.a wm\ eNthward &PJS''l''ta~ the oema d~, stopping and retum:t.ns nortbllard trot the center 11M or eight tm. se.:w dietance ;lYing tbe mo~amam, &pp!'a:d.mto~ SO to 100 miles. 'lb1s . OOO\Ift8d wlth:SD tou (4) minutao or \me. . CIJM!Nf Persoas tumtebit~B Naul &e am. iatereated . 1oraruat4on appeared to