Excerpt from Dally Intelligence Brief -Secret, Auth: CG, AMC, By: Spencer Whedon, Date: 9 March 1950. 4 Ar.tC INVESTIGATION OF R2PORTS ON UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (RESTRICTED) AMC investigation of" reports on the presence of an unidentified object ln the air near Wright-Patterson AF Base, on 8 M~r 50, indicates that the reports resulted from 2 phenomena: ice-crystal clouds which re- flected sunlight and registered on radar sco )es; and visibility of the plant Venus, which is sometimes observed tn daylight. Wright-Patterson pilots, dispatched to search for an object which he.d been registered on radar scopes, reported nothing but ice haze and clouds. Another pilot reported an object believed to have been Venus The following was sent in telecon to A-2 Rer AMC Daily Intelligence Brief dtd 9 March 1950. AMC investigation of reports on the presence of an unidentified object in the air near Wright-Patterson AF Base, on 8 Mar 50, indicates that the reports resulted from 2 phenomena: ice-crystal clo~ds which reflected sunlight and registered on radar scopes; and visibility of the plant Venus, which is sometimes observed in daylight. firight-Patterson pilots, dispatched to search for an object which had been registered on radar scopes, reported nothing but ice haze and clouds. Another pilot reported an object believed to have been Venua. ! p ICI "'CSJFi0 E. ~ ~. '- .. 1. Baco~, terial ~ecbcl by eleo- r ~ : . people. .. 'loa be tekwa ~ cle appro -. p: 2. Pro'ba of ccnarteq. u uawer 11 reqa.lrecl; hoveTer, PolSe7 ww.ld . to be tu:loctl office tor acttoa. If yoa. coDca.r. adequate baclqrcnmt tat ... tloa abo1al4 be flarnlsbecl tor their -orenarattoa of the indorseaet. COfD SB!I! R. C. lUll.D'D Cap \ala. UU Chief ~l:aatioa DJ.y 1. ~orwarcSa4 to eofteiden,1cm no&ed lD para Commen' 'No. 1. 2. Det&lle4 atud7 baa beea 4 of attacbe4 le\'-r aa4 iDGlonree t~ Coa\lMD'-l Air Co...a4. 1'1Dal anal71ee wore dla.T84 aval\1Ja reoelp' ot hov ""'r zenor\s tor 8 ud. 9 :~ 19e<l tor ~eUrtdp All afta. - 3. Attea\loa 1e 1DYited. to reco .. endatloa 1D para 5, P&e a ot ba1lc le~ter. It 1 reco-eacl" \bat the follow,_. 1Dtoma,lon be lDeo!}lora,e4 ln repl.T to Continental A1~C..-.a4 a. Oo.-r u foUow wiUa coaclu1oaa r.acbed bT Coa,lAea\&1 Air CommMd la regard to laelcllla\ .S.eort'Mcl 1a baelo le\t.er ancl lt. lncloaueea (1) _,.l""-of tbe wloc1'J u4 accelerat.loaa of tbe three ooal t.e of tbe 'objeo\ reported. an beJOD.cl. tb& J oapa\lll '7 of bo ~aanar or lJ.chter \baa au nll1olea 1n . ooatrolle4 tlllbt. . (3) -.. lac \bla le 'b8 tae\ tha' t.be 'obJec'' waa re~ort.ed . :-, ~iDe a\atl~ la the space tor a ae.u-per1od ot two b. le a cOAfllot la 4a'-oa 'ba l.aolclea\1 oM wi at.a\e \ht. \he luc1dea\ oefti'N4l oa 8 MaroA ( IDCl. a. pap 3, let. para.) azul other vtt- ne eta~ 1D01Mat oocv.rred oa 9 March ( IDol. l, ~ 1. 1st. pan.):~ r.::i c. Wbat is belinecl to haft beea a ~iailar 1nc1deA' al.o obeerwed b1 ndar ( SCJ sa) ,ocovred a\ np,-.Pa,tenoa .u'B oa t.he morn~ ot 8 ~rch 19SO. At. approz \el7 0'146 \vo airllDe !)llot.a re~orted tha\ tbe.7 had seen lon.g - ., alen"-r boq ' allo' lO ,000 t appnaob1Ja fro the nor~b'fes\. Thtt oojec\ vas p1cacl up b7 ola van a\ t.he Yandalla control tower wbo o~w4!r'ted the olJeo\ thrcnlb billoculan. 'lhe control tAer Yea to red aA 7-80 ai:rerat' to the appJ'O.zi.~t poa1t.loa of the 'obJect' but the pllo' could ... notb'D al- . . 'hoach the coatnl \owr ~ stUl Ia Yl coataa' v1tb 1,. : ~ tate!", an ?-51 att.p\ed to track the obJect. It could not .. bte:reep\ 1 t. Iuring ~hi tl radar bacl not U8en able to detect. an7 ttt~ obJeota of anT aor\. l!ovenr, at abo' 1130 ~n a1,;Dalt ot large Ulpl1 tude were being recelftd on an SCP.-584. All J-80 vaa 't'ectored to tba approz1aate loes..- - v \1oa of the tarp' and re!)ortecl back t.h\ etripa of tee laden clouda J"'UUlin ,.: nort.bn' ~o .outbwea1. vertt visible .a\ approzl-tel.;r 10,000 rt. Thi 1nt~rmatiou ~ ~. coacurnd with plo\a obtailled b7 'M radar and ga-.. coDe blain eY1deaee tha' t t.e - . : radar tar~\ a wre 1a faet. "fiec\1oaa froJt t~ lee laclaD clouda. ~ earlier " :~< ... Ylnal a1p~wre appan\lT a.-to the arDiJI 8h1Din ~ tlit-- . :.'" ~. loe ladea cln4e caush.r u opt ioal 1U1La1oa. . .... ... d. U~!a the 'obJec'' o'kerwed oa radar at Seltrtd& m waa . obaract.eri:a4 lJ7 Yeloct'1 ~i.D troa sero to approx tel7 43) aph. azul : erza,lc cbac, la altitude "bleh abcnMcl DO latalll~a' riDe ... the obeer- . -:-:": Ya\1oaa coal4 ll.T ha.a bttea tbe nMll\ ot turbala' cond.1t1oa 1a-1.ce laden atao~n. A of \h8 vea\her 1a 'he Seltri AD area du.riDC twa \7fou.r ~ hour perioda 8 ucl 9 March bow that, such turb.alell\ cond1 tions could haft . pnYalle4. Saoll aoDd.1 \loll are no\ auaval for \ba\ t ot :r:ar. e. .ta la tbe caae of s11ch eza1ned 1~ the ~' t.bere haa . be!itll ::10 !37ideace \ba' 1musual ol)seJ ts,ioa haft been the retnllt ot a nev techno).~ leal advanc .. t b7 aa al1ea ~-r. In eve17 C#lse ~he" tbent has been suttl- cient ll3a'bla data. 1\ .baa 'b~en_tt11~t a se'!min~l7 unusual o"')S8r"7atlon vas the rewnlt o~ Inia1deDt1f1eation. It ~ tor th13 reason that requirement for SJ)4telal 1nve~t1gat1oll ot ~'tleh inc1dauta and t! P.ntlre 11P:roject Grnc!p (uideni.i- tietl ae!'i!i l obj.ot.) were cancelled b7 .wt. uc; . \J' e&rliel" tAl :rear. The dia~on,ln J..iUlctt o~ :r-:~cial rel)or~i.:1g llld ~nsldtt ion aat1 ~ atcnT0.-4 ~he reoorl ~t tu.CA SDOla.~t... Cuno17 ~na,lou ot nllOna haft co ~o ef Bq. U'.:t U baye .... ~ aoatlz aAJd tbe ooaol-a.etoes wh1ola Jultted d.lt10oa ot the speelal coaslclara,loas clwa tb.la. Hq. U3A" ~. outaiancl1. ' wi\A all aa4 oYer ~o~ 'b aollectloa ot teohlcal iDteU~aae. UNCLASSiFIED Te lecon No. 241 18 Apr 1950 C Ite m 11 From Lt Col Linstrand :JCIA to t:aj Boggs D/I riq USJU' The following reports of an unguided obj~ct in the vicinity of \i-P ~13 are forwarded, r afe!"ence telephone conversation Uaj Boggs 17 .\pr: ~eport by Captain Robert U. Howe: Uar 50: "At approxicatel.y 7:45 A.U. I ?ras inforMed by the control tower Putterson Field to search for an unidentified object \'lhiC h was high ov~r ti1o field. !ho to\.~H tolJ I:le this object had been originally reporteci by two airline :;ilots to th~ vandalia control tower. The pilot~ described it as a long , sltmder bocly at an estirnated altitude of appro.xi...ately 10,000 feet and approaching from the liorth'"est. By the tir11e I received thi:J infor<olat.ion the Vanaa..lia <.;Ontrol had the object sighttJd \rith their field gla~ses At approximately 8: 10 A.ll. !lajor Y.enneth G. Chilstrom took off in an F-80 to search for it. At this time and for approxjraately the next hour the Vandalia control to;..er had the object visually located, and they gave this loca.tion as about 155-160 degrees bearing fron the tower. They did not lmo\., the altitude or distanc~ from the station, but they e.s.- tinated it to be at tha h~ight of the high cirrus clouds over the field. 'these clou:is t1ere at d.n altitude of ) J ,OOO ft. "1a approximately 3:)0 :1.l! I called Colonel O::Jgood of the Electronic subdivision to get any radar assistance the Division night be able to give. I also contacted Gaptain Whiting of the all Yleather division or a ssistance of tht:! all "eath~r search radar which is located at J a.r1est.own, Ohio. .;t this til:te, the Vandalia tower was still in visual contact v1ith the object, and thtty were attempting to direct Hajor Chilstroa to its location, but the:r were unsuccessful. At one tioe, llajor Chilstro;n said th~ tower idtmtifie d his position as' appar~ntl.y fairly close to the object' but he was unable to identify any object or body of any kind. Shortly a!ten.,ards, honever, a National Guard pilot fro:n Vandalia, Colonel Shaefer, sighted an object when he v1as on the gr ound, and he took off i n ! F-51 and atte-,;>ted t) tract: it.. .-.l.'tt:r h e l,nJ.ed, :. t:.!.lk? d t o Colonel Shaefer, and he reported to rae tha t he follow~d it for 2 J t o 30 runutes and the objdct did not change its position.' i3ecause of this Colonel Shaefer thought it :-.U.~ht be a ' h~avenly body'. During all ol tbis tine, neither radar was able to detect any strange bodies of ltrtt appro;d . .-.tcl.y ll:JJ ~ r rttceivt3d a telephone call fron the ~lectronie sub1ivis~on radar st~tion. The operator in charGe raport~d to me that the operators had an unidentified ob~act in their scopt 35 miles east of the station at a relativ~ bearing of 1J5 degrees to the station. T.1is obj~ct had a.r1 bCiloJ..lOJ mils in \'lidth. At this tine I called Colonel atson, ::ilitary Intelligence Division end relayed this in!orl':lation to hir.1. " .. j "I wish to report that I contacted the base operations office at Patt~rson Field i:nediatel.y after I <!.tte:1pted to establish the radar search and advised the operations officer on duty to contact any interested organizations of either t h e base or Head' ;uarters C. ".tt 10:00 A~.1 I contactl!d the public r elc..tions of.ficor of HeAdctuarters A1:LC <m.J. notified the officer that a report or' nn un- identified object had been ra.:.dc . I also notified this officer that both the elect:-onics division an1.i d.il .,.:-J.t.u\;:: J.ivision hud assiste d in the search for the U."lidentified body. To the best of my lmo\'lled~e, I ~o not r~call divulgin g any additional information to the public relations office." .tteport by lir. Ja~aes an ldr. Johnson, 9 ~ Iar 50 : II At approxir.U-ttely 11:30 AH.' e ~arcn 1950 , Hr. li. L. Jaliles end t r1a writer w1ere infor n.ed that unid-:::1ti.f!.e d signals of v ery large u.:::.pl:!..tude t~ere beir.~; r~ceived on the 3::t-53!. in i"rea B. It wa s also reported ~1at unidentified objects described ~s cele3tial bodies vertJ observed e urlle r in the UBJ'. ~. J~es and the '\Jriter proceeded to the radar site in orde:-t o observe the signals e:.nd suggested that, .::lthoughtthe s ior-nals 't'!ere t.:ndoubtedly ...,eather conditions, it \'lould be ad"~:isable to check by perforniug an air ir.terception. -ill F-80 uircraft was vectored to the approxjaate location of the targets and report.ed back that strips of ice l..ad~n clouds rwming north~:e~t to south e.,t. Ylere v~..>i.bis .:..t a.t-t-ro~&l.::.tely lu,OUO ft. This i.nforr.1ation concurred with plot s obtained by +h~ radar foming conclusive evidence tha t c.h\3 radar targets were in~'fact re!'lecticns frora. the ice l aden clou i s . It i s be l iever.:. tlH.~ the lis::.. o l e t t e earily r.1orn.i.ng su."l s hining tln ough optical illu!3ion." ne 1.ce aaen i1u.lfe cean 'JUe to cloudn c ausing lfl ,er tllns11s Object, Sn)s , It Wa~ Star "ho 11 I :so "lhtn l'r1 1 hro ':.tk.' tn 1 S~iy" SAid thJtl It 'lJijlt'.lr d I "I ftel darn fooliah .1buut thl~t One t~hl'f'n .~r !1('!'Crtho-d 1~. " T h whole thlnJ thin~ lookf'd ltk ~ hullct and It "I'm convlneed I took orr anll ll'ft a \':.por tr:\tl b<-htntt it." went ehaalnJ a star or aom~ Annlhf'r p.MK~n <~ate!: "It SI'Pn'tt'cl kJncl of ctlnttal body." to audll~nly slop tht>n mo~d,. a lon~ ""' et"f'inc cllmh." Thllt'l the way a t' Adrltne Rudtc-k. " TW ,\ tlckrt Shafer Jr.. air national J:Uitrd counter emplov sAid "'ht"n llht' pilot, last nilht descalbed hla first uw It the thtnse "PPt'Art'd "flylna uucer d\ue" )'Htt'rday in th sky-"like a bri$:ht and wtwn astra.,.. objftt wu sl1hted shiny dtnw... , Ia tM aq ovr the Dayton Mu Shafor said tw caJied Or Louls t nlctpaJ airport. Salt'tel. dt'an of <~Cit'Mt" at thf" "I wu havtnt ..,. corree Univt'rslty of Oaytnn and ll!'kf'd when word calM from ttw con him If It ~ pnuable to ~ a trol tower that 111M klnll of an ~l .. tial body In this po.it !on and ob~ had b lilrhted." ttw or-at the perttcular time o( dy. ' fler xplalaa&. "A ahort Ume 11w officer said the dean te- Jater--bout I L m.-1 wu up In Pll: "YK." I the a1c7 trylftl to flnll out what Lut nept. Broth..-Sa~tt'l s~lcl: an the ndt-' waa abeut... "'Ve~-Ia v..., hricht the d..,.. and Ut la t'ntl...ty powllible thla plarwt mhrht ht' \"ialblt' durlnc the .. I aaw lt. all riKtat a Uaht daylllht hours... . you look at a atar Ia the ev.. Late )'Nift'dlly afte; hOOh ln\-....4 tiq." tlcators f;OM Wn-"t Field w He new hla fut Fll tighte-r at thf' airport lntnvWwtnc ch ,..,. to aa altitude of about 38, Air Guard otrlcrra and otht' )00 IHt and wu probab13J. tM JN"IIOtlMI who said tlwy h.ct 1ft" ut ph.,. to aetual17 ... tM ob-ttw ob,Jed In th sky. ~ be(:aUM rTOUJMI alne~rs reo-The .. lnv .. t11ators" moved about ; portt'd It di1a....,.. ~hind a almoat as m)'ltertoualy as th cloud .ank. m)'ltrtoua ob~ ltMif. Tht7 19-1 : "It dldn"t wt1al .,.. Iota." the fi!Md to gtv. their namell to any ilot uld. outsldt'; s IMiudlq ttw pre: and ttwy .Mfmtd \'ft')' "a~tive" -n.at'l why rm c:onvtnvt'd that about th .. ir m.IMion. It wu aome kind of a cel .. tial an. of the ~rath>ea said ~ and not a n)'lnt sauc:ef," tlw wu C!OftiMet.,.. wtttt ttw .. office I olOer aald. "'f It h.ct bun a apedal ln\ ... tlpt'-" at Wrtpt JJA\fTO. N Mit' IMMrft 1 I lAIIIIMitt.'" It W a du tlf!lrtl. thet twe 'II I 1\. eeoc ~ ahpwt control Jet pa.,.. piac.t. rna the AMC tower opeaa_., wtM, flnt re-Olcftt tNt divt.ioft took off and ported aeetna the objftt In the trifid to ICK'ate the "thin._.. Ae- pcedawn alo' quott'd u uy ~rdlnc to PIO IOUrt:lfa n.lther nt lnt he aaw ctefifttte movenwnt ttt. piJota rt'POited Metnt ttw ob- . toward the .,.U-'-" jt'ct.. rf,lying Saucer" Didn't Wi~o e;