I. OAT;! TIMI NUMIII OP OIIICTI S. LINGTH OP OUIIVATIOM TY'I OP OIIIIYATIOM I. LOCATION i l:irmeapolis '"YitCA&.I 11" ta N2t (TDI) October 21, 1953 Report to: Air Intelligance Service Squadron, Flight 2A SIGHTING OF tmmENTIFIED OBJECT The sighting described balov took place during the theodoll te tracking of a 79 tt. balloon floating at approximately 8o,OOO ft. on Project 8)021 - Grab Bag. Observation vas made from the roof at 2003 East Hennepin Avenue. The time VlUI between 1010 and 1015 CST on 15 Oct. '3. No sound vas detected at any tiL18 during the observation. Tbe obJect vas first observecl aa it pas3ed below the sun at an elevation of approximately ~o heading southward in horizontal flight. It was detectable by a smoa or vapor trail Which extended some distance behind it, but whi.ch did not persist, or torm a cloud. Tb8 object itself waa not visi.ble ewn through the theodolite during the first part of the sighting. During the horizontal part of its traJectory, the object moved acroos the sky at a rate ot 10 deg1ees in 9 seconds. With an estimated altitude of 4o,OOO tt. this represents 1' miles per minute or 900 miles per hour. After abwt 10 seconds of horizontal flight, the obJect appeared to go into a Yertical diva. The pos~ibilit;y that the appearance of a dive vas produced b;y th obJect merel1 receding into the distance seems unlit.~ since the apeed normal to the line of sight vaa undiminished in the d1w. The d!VIl lasted tor fl~m 10 to 15 seconds at ths end ot which time the obJect vas Yia1ble tvo or three times as it appeared to glovor reflect the light of the sun tor perhaps a second at a tiM. Just at this time the vapor trail ceased, nd tor a second or two thereafter the obJect, ito outlines still unrecosnizable, vas seen through the theodolite, not as a glare or (roflocted?) light, but as a gre7 maaa in the act ot levelling ott. Its size in ths theodolite field wu of the same magnitude 8& the 79 f't. bslloon, vhich means that, since it vaa nearer, it would not be that laree. The obaerera believe that the obJect vas moat likely a Jet Rircratt, but aewral. .teaturea w.re unusual. 1. The speecl vas higber than nomall3 observed. 2. 'l'b8 vertical dive vas a h1gbl7 de.nprous it not suicidal maaeuver. 3. A jet aircratt in such a dive would be beard for miles, and vould certainlJ cause a noticeable shock wave det~ctable in the nrea beneath it. . ~. Vapor trails do not ordinarily occur during vertical motion ( p9 ! " Col. Shor:zo), though smoke trails could, of' course. It vas thought that ths Air Defense would be interested in vhs.t was a. They had no aircraft in the vicf.nity which could account for it, or if b. They had M aircraft accid~tnt which might be partly explained by this report 011 vaa reported to: Col. Shomo Director ot lona 3].at Alr D1 vision !'ei.pboM: Parker 95()1, 7 or 8 U.S~ AIR FORCE TECH'JIC.\L--x~!P"O!Ut\TIOT'~ SHEI;T This questionnaire has been prepared se that you c~n ~ive the u.s. Air Foree no much intormation aa possible concerning the undentified nerial pheno- menon that you have observed. Pleue try to answer as man.v questions as you possibly can. The lntonnation that ycm r,ive will not be used for research purposee., l!tnd vill be "larded ftS confidential material. Your name vill not be used in conneeticm vith &l'IJ' statements.; conclusions~ or publications without your permission. We request thia personal Womation so that, it it is deemed !I necessar.r., we m.y contact you ror turther details. 1 1. H'hen did you aee the object? 2. Time or day: ~I..;;D /0 -i .;-; D~v Month Year ( Circle One ) or P.n. 3 TiM 30nea ( Circle One) ) n. Eutem ~ ~entr'U> ficnintai n ( Circle One d. Pac1tic 4. \oJhere were you when you saw. the object? ~Tearest Poatal Address Additional reurlcsa 0 .,., StPlte, or Co~try , ... !) Estimate how long you saw the object. -- HO\U"II 1-.iinutea Second:l S. 1 Circle one or the following to indicate hov certain you are or your answer to ~eat a. Certain c. Net ver,r aure ,. certain d. Just a RUese J d. Just a trace or dayli,ht e. ~;o trace or dayliilht r. Don It remember 7 It you saw the objeet durin Do\n.IC~\'T sun located as you looke t? or n:.'~m. where was the ( Circle One a. In tront ot ~ -- ack or you o. To ycmr rt,ht d To your lett e. Overheat! t Don't remember I. Ir )"0\l eaw the 'object at NIOHT Tl-IILIOH1 or DAWN, 0 whAt did. :you notice ooncernin,r the STABS and MOONI 8.1 ST.{RS (Circle one) 8.2 MOON (Circle one) a. Bright moonlight b. Dull moonlirhto c. No moonli~t pitch black d. Don't remember 9. ~. the object brl~ter than the b~ckrnund of the sky? (Circle one) c. Don't remember IF it 1n'S the eky b"lck~round, ot Rn ~utomobile headli~t7 (Circle one) ~s the bri~htnes~ like thAt lle .A mile or more ava7 (a die~nt c.ar )!o b. Seveml blocks a_,.t c. A block avATf d. Several 7lll'da aw7 e. other! /l.tv 11. Dld the objectt (Circle One tor e"ldh question) Appear to atand still 11t an7 tiJnet b. Sudd~ apeed up and J"Uah "~ at c. Bx eak up into pArte or explod.et d. Give ott e110ket e. Ch~nge bri~tnuat r . Chan~e shapet I nicker, throb, or pulaatet Yea ~ Don't know Yea ~ Don ,~ NO-DOn t know Yea Don't know Did the object r.'IOW'e behind s in~ 'lt llnytime, p8rticul~r & cloud? (Circle one) Yea (No) llon 't know IF YOU answered ~ the n tell ~&t it moyed behindt D1cl the object (Circle one) is;--Di.Ci ;you observe. the o6jeci tFroufl!h ~n-o""'li'""'T"tf'.-e ,lro ...... 1..,.1o-t-:..t-n-f:""ll.fr------------- a. ~re P.lllsses? Yo a No e .. Binoculqrs? Yes No b. Sun '!lasses! Yes No t. Telescope? c. '11 ndshtele! f. Theodolite? fYes d. '.dndowv.lass! No h. Ot~rf 16. Tell in ~ tn vol'da the tollowin~ thin~ -'lbout tkt objectt anct include in ya'J.r aketc:b aey det'lils ot the object th!!'tt yoll s~v such ftl wines, protru10ft8 etc., llnd especiJtlly exhJtust t~ile or Y~tpor tnile. P111oe llnd arrow beside t,l\e dl"llviM to show the direction t ,he 1~. '111 edftes of the object weret (Circle one) r.hszy. 'a~-blu~J~d c. Sh~rply outlined b;;-Lika --~-li ~ et..tlr d. Don't reM!!tber tr there w~ tmE. riiill or!i-Otij;et, 't.h8n how i-~t,;r..-ih;n;r --- Drav '1 piet.,,re ot l'ov t~ey were nrl"lllnr.ed, 1\r.d put an lllrrow to show the direction t at they vera trAvel in~. Dr a picture that viU show the motion that the object or objecta made. Place an A at the be~in~ ot the path, a n at the end or the path .. chqes 1n direction durin the course 21. IF POSSIBLI, t17 to ~ or estiute what the real size ot the ect 22. ROll' larp did the object or objects appear Rs compared with one or the toUcwlftR objects hold in the hand M'\d at about arms len~th? ( Circle One) a. Head of a pin R Silver dallar b. Pea h. Baseball c. Dime 1. Grapefruit d .. ~ickel j. Basketball . .. ( e. Qu&rter k. Other j.P -~ j;, t. Halt dollar d' .... 22. 1 (Circle Ola .or the to indicate ha(, eortain you are or }"'ur ( _b. j_atrl.7 certaiftJ d. Uncertain wulcl like tor 7ou to i.JMine that you could construct the object you Ot vhat ~ ~al you JUke it? How l3.~e would it be and 11hat shape voulct it haye? De.cribe in yaur own words a co!"'llon object or objecta which when placed up in the sky would gi-.. the sar.. appc'11"8nce as the object which you aav. 2~. Where were yOta locawd when you sav t~e object! (Circle one) A. In.~i de a building b. In a oar c. Outdoon d. In An "1. rp14ne 26. Were you (Circle one) ~. In the residentfil section? e. In open coMtt"jiiide7 d. Flyin~ ner an ~irfield? e. Fl.yi':lll over tfontryt t. flTing over ft citJ7 lfl"t were you doin! Jtt the time ~ e.-w ob, how d!.d you 28. IF you 110re MOVOO IN AN AUTOM03IL& or other vehicle at tha time, ete the follow! net nzJestiO!ll I Wh~t dlractiO!! were you movln~1 (Circle one) b. f~orthe11st d. So'Jtheast t. Southwest ,.. Northwest 28.2 How !!tat were you JI!OV1.~? miles per .,our 28.3 Did you atop 'lt ~trw tine while :,rou went looktnr. 11t the object? (Circle one) 29. Whftt direction were you lookinv whBn you first s~v the object! (Cirel~ one) b. Northe,.at s t. Swth west g. Northwest )0. What direction lMN )'OU look in'. vhen :you last e"" the object? (Circle one) t. Southwest I Northwest .1\.. It you "" fRmili. tr wit.h bettl"in~ tenu (lln,ul.nr direction). try to estim ... te the nU!IIber or deffNU the object ne tro tNe f1orth 'l~ "lso the nuaber ot dev,reea it VAS upW8rd frOM the horizon (elev~tion) In the follow.lu sketch, iM~ine th .. t 7ou ~tre ,.t the noint sho~m. Pl~tee and A en the cuJwd line to s"'ow row P,:f "t-. th~ ob:ect wts "bove tt-re horisan (skyline) wN ;"nu first s~w it. Pl -,ce " "B" on the 1-"M curved line to ehow t-ow h!~h the object. wtt8 above. the hor- ison (s'71ine) you last s'!l~ 1 t . 33. In the tollow1 ""' sketch pl.tJee "" "~" ~t the po .tion lb. 'JI!At were ttte we~ther condi t.i.ons nt. the time you n~w tr-4 ob._iectf j lb.l CLOUDS (Cirnle one) 34.2 WIXD (Circle one) c. Scattt.red Clouda . ~. No wind . d. T~ick or he~v,r clouds o. Don't remember .. b. 1'o~, miat, or litr:.,t r11 in c. Moderttte or he'lY)" rain .c. Strone; ~dnd d. Don't :rf;J'l8r.:ber 34.4 T~1PiR~T~RE (Circle one) e. Don't ber e. Don !t reme.!lbttr ~port to some official_ th:tt yott h:-d seon the object? Moi:rm~--ikAR )6. W~s nnyone else vi th you 4t the i ime you sttw the ob~cct~ (Circle one) ~.) NO 36.1 IF you 11nswered YES, did t!".ejr soe tho obji.:ct tooJ 36.2 Plettse list their nsmes n:"d "\ddresses t lT ~s thia the ti thAt you ~,.d ae~n "" object or objects lihe l7 .1 IF I)'CMI ~tNWre oo, tMn when, where, 'lnd under what circa a~nee did 70U see other on' ~ Do ~u think JOlt can eatiaate the speea ot the objee? - --------: (Circle One) ~.,> No D' JOU ananred YES, then 1ft1at speed would you estimate? .. 'tp o Do you thil* (Clrc la One) estiute h~ far fror.l 7ou the object vas? IF 1011 an.enct liS, then how far .u.u--~u say it was? z;. ,.o toet. Ll.. Pleue gift the followlftl inforMtion aboUt yourselta Middle N._ T!IBPHCD t!UMBP!R..._..iiiiiiiiii What S.. your pruent jobt....., ... lliUI f.! r. DIV COLORt~DO COLO ::I SSCUR I