P~OJECT 1001:. Rr;CC~O CA:<~o : l. ._6l~.A TION ,,. O.t.":"E!;"'~ C~OUP : '-TYPE Ofl oa~l~VTiO ... B-29 .\ircre~ Unu.,ul PhenOMna Observed by Urcrew Ea.3tem USA Intelligence Division, Hq MATS, A:1dre4s Xi B1H, W~shington 25, D. C. 16 October 19S2 24 September 1952 D. F. H~:onerluncl, Major, U3Al' USAF Pilot : . 1\ pilot report. or ~.., unuau1l. rutu:"!! i:r1clvi:1~ ph~r.or.~en& obs,r-red b7 crs :nbers ot ~ B-2 ~ -,.,hil~ on a :light.'" s~u:t"At~'cor .1952 .south of ~C~.&rle.3ton, W. Y l . -w.1s r~aivld by Detach:Dent 7, 4th we~ther Group, Griffisa Air Foree E3. S'!' l!Cme' Nttw Yr. r!~. The nu::lbtt:" l.ni hor.w 3t~ti~n or t.ha ~1 rc :-:lit lnd tha r..&.: an-! c r ar.iz3t.ion ;t' th .. c:~" :-:Je~'bera were nJt i:1clui.d in t.!111 :~port tonnrr!:Y.! to Hq Air ~eather Servlc' lnd ~ent from t h.:lt he:t.dqu~rte:os to Hq HATS. 2. The ~port t 1s C ollowsz a. Date: 24 1tptember 1?52 b. T~a 1 C)JOI ~ c. Loc.&t.i:>n: 50 ntllel due aot&h ot Charl~ston, lNeat VirginS e. lnd1oat.t1l1 Altituctea 19,000 teet ' ~ t. Altimtar :ettlftlt )0.26 incbea {Hg) # g. Indicat .. t ..\ir1paed1 190 knota r .i"' .... ~-he RIMrkl! t'M aircrAft was on a trsck ,r 350 de~r toward C~url-!st.on, '-'at Vir~i.~.i~. f'4hen 1..:0 rUles sou~ ot ttut. city :Br.1be" ot 'r the crew obMi tad bri ~ht, :aetlllc_.pperini.Pirtiol! atrsanrl.n~ paat the h,4J-.,J a!rcrart. The partie ta were rlible traa all 05aen.ltioa point.a in the plan and wre obHrred by all crew liMn. 'ft'A particle appeared to be cl ~ncil-poiJlt lD width ant lenab tra a tin7 naah to a t.~ak Ol& H t1aahel and 8treak1 wire iiil'bie&t icon- a14el&ble apprarobinl the ple and at & diatanoe ot ao to 100 t .. t to the alclee ot ttl ~. lfot.l\1fta waa ob .. "ecl to hit tbl plAM (wina . ..... win48hielde, prope, or plane nrt .. ) but ~lowed -.oothl7 paat tbe plane. SeameN could tbe. part1o1ea ill the. allpatre and to the rear ot the plane. It wa1 that the 1treaka were 1D the tora ot a bri&ftt, ~te lllht DO ~otNa-. obzed at ~ u.. Tbere waa no turbuleDOe mel no conclenatloa tml. 'nle ir.clicated tr air te11rrature vaa -lo.oOC, ccn-Ncte'i tor altitude to -6.oOC. '1\wre were no elouds enorunterad blt cirt lll p 1t h . o ph!n9ft!!n~ \-BS cbsez ret! for :1 ':list.l::c~ t1t' 50 -:dlea .. '.nd ani~ l~roxi ::ac~ l:-; 50 nilt!s sou't~ or' C!'-4rl~ston, ,..ra3t. lft-:-ci~1!..l. \;>p4'o:-:-!:rat,ly cr.a h.ur l~rsd th3 -a 3 f'-1"'"1 c~t.'.JCI.H':C.i rc-:t ::h.ir"l~.Jton, ~eot Intell1a Dinaioa, Hq HATS, AP laee, Waahingtaa 25, D. c. IR-666-52 .3. The ca.ander aal cletaotu.nt torecaat.er int.emewed t.lw pllot aal "'lDHr ot the &iroratt &Ill al. a ..O.r tl'W til aecticm ot thl alNNft 1D an elton to oorftlate c a report with wat.her phen~na. , no eat1ataoto17 explanatione or concl.uaione were reached. The pilot ph& that the panicle were not ice crystals nor were the7 1n m7 W&7 a1mt lAr to chatt dropped to diarupt radar obeez 'l3tiona ~. The Directorate of Scient1t1c Semcea, Air '1/eather Se.ttice, renewed the report and atated that AWS could otter no explanation for th repo~ ted ohenom1non. It waa that the Mtter be c.Ule:i to the attontion o1' Project Bluebook, Air Technical Intelligence C~ter. o. !". HAHJttJUll rm ~.~or, USAP lonel, u s~ """"'~,.;hi ef, lute lllgence