PROJECT 1~73 RECORD CARp LOCATION LoN(; H C! Wos ~ulloon Califorti.a ~ 0 Pobohly Oolloo~o 4. TYPE OF OISf!AVATION OATETIMI G ROUP :J' 0 GN"" ~Vi suel D ~"""RMor F-86 Pilot s ' cousat 0 Wca All c r o f t 0 Probobly Al rc.roh 0 Po ui bl y AI rcro ft 0 Wu Jo. atto h uli c o l 0 Probot.l ; Astn.r~<ou'\lcol 0 Poulh l y Ast~rolc:.al l!NOTH 0' OllU:RVATIO .. I. NUW8fR 01' OIJ!CTS tJ I ' fllclc.h l l>t.tt a lur L lu-.1; ,,. , 0 U ul r h-m lOS IJtl!' SUWWAIItY O F SICHt iNC pape wa s round. Coler was silver. belie ved t he pilots s aw a radi os onde SEE C113l FIJ..E 11. COMM!NTS Evaluat ed as a ba lJoon . UNCLASSIFIED The fi:st rc;x>rt of t!'-.!s inci 2er.t, proved ~ bo incn~lute o :islen~inr. diserc::>enc ie:; a.'.! the follow in.-eccoun t :'urthcr in-:t:~ti;-t. tion !::=.:: c')rl ct..!u the o~ the inciL!ent i~ consi~crc1 to be At an-r~'(i::llltcl;r 0700 ~7, t.._.o F-C~ ni rcraft '.Jere scrP-'7lbl::~ ~Jr.\ ~:>r-:e A:_r Fo:-ce !la~c' ';e:.lifornia' on a r ")\.:tine n.l.~si.Jr.. ~no n!.;ht \JC:.:; '."f! C ',..)r~!~ tv u.:,.:> !l~&:cd tn be inn lcf~ orbit at. abou t ~,OCO ft. .l::c objtc . c 0 L..: not.~<.: ~ic~:c .. ~ relcl..l:;fl'.! b,7 t h r eroun,: cor.trollc:::-~ . .) ~cy rett.r.ic-l to ucor r:e ;.ir ?orcc t,_ ~c. .~olor. ~.'hc!l l n 5 t neen t ho ot~cct \.l!lG in a l eft orbit, o r r~rc!i:-1 to \2.c J t:!'i., e pilot's o~lnion wa~ U:r;.t it \..'as o s.:c':)t '\Ji.."'l.r tnc e:.:rc;~t. fr'JD Georr.e Ai13 to relieve t~c t..:o a~.-o7~ ~cntior.eJ Y-... 6 ' ~. '.1 c f.'c.:.r hi! cr;t.ft s olit into t-'') :\l()-5hi'? clc..,e."l~, den oted ns i:'liri~t ::-A t-"1: ~-J . .;:1 t!.c ir- closcd o'7erla~. r'llf7ht ;~--" \.':-.s vectore5 ton position l!.t 1!7 ?C'. 6 1..: 30 . :l>'ll. T'r.ey Br."ivec nt t h:.::; :x>~it!.oz_t nt :>.'J:r oxj1et..cly U210 o.."'lt: si--h~<l !. .. e The object a-,,earc~ to be in~ c::>nt.r)llt.-<1 orbit to tha r.!.r.!-:t u.a::.: lC:ft &:. ~C,OOO to 55,00C !'t. 'l';1e t\Jo aircr~l: .. t. s U1ycJ L"l ti:c w-e n f o r li...- 1 ~ ui:1 tc:: lJ<; ; .. Jrc lJrc!L-:- a;>~ar to be E.t evep t vi~.., aircra!.'t. broke off t::~ atte!':lotoc in~rce:;t an(! r~,;tt..rncc to tr.eir Lr.sE:. :~.i=.; fli:-!:t r~- ported t..~u t the o oj oct o.pne~ee to te rcl.!!l~ a_,~ sil vcr. tro mo~ il'l tcrce<Jt~ verE" e t ~::'1ted. r~o...r :::crcc:1 nor t..-ns it ru""'rter! tv ~-~ o':..=:::c.:r-tr::~ v:s~!lllt F-S6s , however, .tare ~cr:tin a.ll.:r t;-...:.et.ed b.:,' r adar. UNCLASSJElED. due to tr.c r ... c:. Jet :.ison u-. . YNCLASSlfl un:-;:.lc to clinb ~ the cstl::nt~d nl ':.i tu:!( of ~':!: 7=Ject t.::c ... vcrc cu.rr.ir .. -exV.;:-=lal fUel tunf.!i un.!,.(:le~-.....::. no t t0 ~t 070C ?"&JS~ a rad!.:son.::e t.:.1lloon -..ras rclensc~ tr:>n t.~e Lonr ~ Ct;.C : ~:unici~oJ Airnort. 4h.is bell.~n w&.:: lost a~ 071.. ... :>~':'. eicht r.dlc~ fr"n t i:c &::-:art on a bcariny or 95~ tree. (: to a. ~.:~1!\:nction o:..-~h. trnckinr (c.:ldr::ll!nt. l,ce ;ioint ;. on ovcrlaJ.) A~ t.:~is tL the bnl 1 oon l.:Oul i have been at n p,,r o x:...-..:::. -~] y 40,000 ft. 'i'he vin.!s abo?~ !.O,C,~C !t. are t:JL.:n.1\m but 1 t iz 1or!c~ to e!:: -~ t~t&. t c. t this altit'..l~o thcj vi11 ::~ reht!.v<:l.:,r co:1::~.,t in .iirt.:c~ior.. A::::u .. -...:.::-a rclr.t!.v~ constunt dir~ction o!" "nC bnlloun ec.n be; :Jlo~t(.-d o~ t r.e ove r :ay ti.."le or t !te o:-irinai. tir~tint, t~e bu..llo -~t.:lJ bt: at 0 t.> .--:a, f t . r~d a~;>ro;:!'"'l.D.tc!.;, ten -lie::; ~ir~c -~y ntca.J oi' tr.e tuo nlrcra,.t. !1:t.; c.::-.:.:-.:nt '1rbi t.- tinr or the Lnll<YJ:1 Cai'.;l')~, Lo eh-lai.n . l::~ balluJ n \-:,) ,J. : !~.~.:,. a ::-::..-:~nl tl.:rn coulj hnvo 6')""\~ll.r\.!~ tl) "vc nc~ :ucc. mea nrnin t~4C: orbittinr -~ :. ~b.;cct eann'Jt be t"!.\.':llni ne<?. n~c a tt.~ter. inte:-~e?t b:r Fli:l:t 2-B ea:mot be ox?lai:1v<!. If ~ f"r:>u."l~ trf\Ck elvcn ~)"./thE' le!der of '}i:-ht ::- 3 i s C'JrTect it is Vt':rJ CO\.~t : th:lt. t.hc fli:ht wa s o'Jscrtlnr-a talloor.. !.'he tine t:-.a t they si;ht:J)c thtJ o: .. j-: 1~ not. known but if lt. is asst:.:.:~d thllt .e.r !J.e\: t.<:~c~th the o~jcct f or :r--- tc:J, it is hlrhl.:t .:ou~t!\:.1 that a \.:i:l:: shift o~ nearly J{JJ ft. to rive the illusion or a t . ~ :'he "10:J.: ibi.l!. ty o~ thi:J oC.j e c t beinr. e.-. e x:1cri:-:c:1 tal nir~r : r :::. ~x:o ~her ~alloon:: .rerc r 2..~'"'!~ in t~c vici.:li ty. ~:1 th th,. in!'or-ution :tv:d lcbl: , it c r..n..,Jt be conclt!d~;d th11t t::.~ t:~ject \:as ,. .. dofin.l tel.: t~c rar21osm=!e ballo.: n rC;lcnscc :r-on Lon!.,. Beech ;.:u..~i~: -:.:.1 .:.~ '>O!" t. Co:ltion betwc<'n the ball 00:1 a..~ the alrcra:t. it can b; co:1c::..uieJ t.:1:~:. t.~e u:J.-.:~:1:..: object vas Yery ~ssibly n rndios~n~c b~ll~n. UNCLASSIFJED the :.:.e in \f:..!ch t.h: object \:es f:>:..l=:>wc,; in The thir\! a~:.c:"J~ted !.::-....:rce--t, vi~o tt:rn, ea:::ot be e~l:w!!lcc!. It 1:: not ~llcved tha-: !\J.rther a1,m1!"1caz,t cct.a&ls due ttl ~e !o.ct. tran::fE:rl e..! over..:eas an~ . to the in ~:TOf"A tio~ \lo-::1-: !)rof.~cc &."'\1 a!d 1 tional t..!':a.t ~.Jr..c o: -:.."'le on."1cl i~vol._e.i h.:lve bee n tL';I! :since inc!..:~nt. b~Lll:l~:'!~ ~nulj ~r.,., ~r'!vP.l :i.:!: eot:.r!!~ -#~U-t thE.! otjce~ t ri!O"cloc. All or ~he :'!a:;;:-llre:-:..~:. !'!!etoric~ ~rirnnt.ol nicht t~sts \/Cre ~nte.ctc~. at the tL":lC -,r -7 c ~1:-!:tinc. ;:o cx:neri..-.e:1 !:il ni:-crnft a 1 r~:-r.e M~1 tio!ll".l in~or.;ct!on !.e~ ~en roq.; tcd as to ad~l tionn..l deta1.1~ of the incident ::uc:h !18 tt:xs ~-..= loeatio!'ls dt:rinr : !,e c..ttc:1p~ 1:nercer;t1~u by the F -f-6 s : .r.e o ~r.~r '"'Oss!~le btllooo luu:'lchL"".i:s UNCLASSJEJEO TABLE OF C<l'ITENTS Intellenger.ce Report dated 5 Oct 1951 (S) OS! Report dated 30 Oct 1951 (S) Reinterz"Ogation of Pilot dated 11 Dec 1951 (S) Balloon Data, 4 December 1951 E :HISCELLANIDUS CO~roNDENCE AE F~UIM l12~ART I (LEAVE BLAHA') balloons r!".ic:"l c.m cuc.ily :-i.ze to ~ ..... ooo !-:: . , o~f -refloc~ion, ~!...1<.! can e x po.nd e,r~l .. ly i!' ~: e: r e gul'J.rly --&Gt~arC.a -.~"'3, whether-h& knew of e.n'r :1.izht to . .,hich General B8 D re"lieti in the . Ed.ro..tdo .GJ ./eat.iler ~ .,.J.t_on r Jpr;rt.v :. t: ~t 5tu1t.a :..::.. .l. , .;_"l Die~o ana Lr ... J!. Beach are .regul:1.rl:,r schedule d to r eleace Hr.:a-t!" ..... r ball o o:1a \.lhich c ~ , cs..oily r .i:;o t:: :,A> ,000 by Santa i:::,.ris. u ow1.lly drift OV(>!.' _Lon 3C!l< ~' and. Rive r side, \. ." "'l::.;::rt th ~t \ .. a a r e ... ported a s sighted. A kite o bf.' o:. c::cc -:.o tr:c. "',,:-1 :oon ao e. ?j:Judin.,. fi~t r1ay give o:f ro.:."'l.!ctio!l. . . ob jec::t (~ee !..."l~lceed nta:~e=t3nt)' ;tho at1.ted t:1e ooj~cv a?p~arel -:.:> u~ orbi ti:tg ':li-len h& sightad i 't a.!ld not going "too fast." This a..s ~ t~e ~!arch ~a area. ... I loll UNCLASSIFIED STATEME NT 23 Septemb~r 19)1 On 23 September.l95Lat appreximat~lT 0810 ST a b&i e was H He.rve.r and reacsed an altitude ef 43,000 feet t4i5 ebject w~s in tAe vicinity f UNCLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FolJNCLASSJFIE