PROJECT 1<r73 RECORD CARD t.. i.OCATIOH CONCLUSIONS Rock r.a.rden, Was Balloo n Probably Balloon Poui bly Balloon 3. DATETIME GROUP L T"'?!: ) F OBSERVATION )(:] Ground VIsual 0 Ground-Radar Was Aircraft 0 Probably Aircraft 0 Ar-Visual 0 Alrlntercept Radar Possibly Aircraft 0 Was Astronoml cal 0 Probably Astronoml cal Po ui bly Astronomical UNIDENTIFIED 7. LENGTH OP OBSERVATION I. NUMBER OF OBJECTS 9. COURSE 0 Insufficient Data for Evaluation OlOIUnlcnown 10. BRit!!fl SUMMA .. Y Ofl SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS 1\liD<JI t square, bro-.misb, obj appeared UNIDENTIFIED ~olid ~d moving in circular 111otlon at slow !Jpeed and moved ot't to NE. ATIC I'ORW 329 (REV 26 81tP 52) AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT FROM 1.1~ IICV) Flibht 2-8, 4602d AISS COiiHEHTS of PreparinG 9ffic~'": 1 . Imme diately upon r :.:;;-: -~: ~ t his report all availabl e military and civilian organizations vere cal .~ for additional ir.forrnation and/or identification. No further info r mation was c>t:rir..:-:.: and no i dentification nas made. There Here tHo Iilili t:1ry a..""lci tlu-ee civilian aircraft in the it-:uaediate vicinity at the appr ox:Una t d "':.int! of the sighting. llegative reports were made reg:-~rcli.ng the ohj ect. 3. Nep,atlve inform:J.tjon was received from the local astronomer reearding astronomical phe nomenn . Nngative information v1as received from the Knoxville Filter Center a nd the 663d t\C & H Sq regard.inc a dditional reports or observationo of the ob,ject. l~er~ative :Lnform:.1tion Has received from l:a.;a-rcll Flight Service ) and negative l.1f.'oro;nnt .i.on tr3'1 r c ecived from the tt-To base fi:htcr squadron intcl- ligence unlL:.>. 4. The \/Cather stc:, l, j n.:.; n t Nashville and Knoxv .Lllc , Tennessee a nd Asheville , llocth Caroli:n.J. \Hc\3 C.)ntn.cted. The s t . tions at tsashville and Knoxville sent ballo011r1 Ito at l5'Y ' ' l t1 t .~ station a t As heville does not s e nd balloomj alo.ft. It ~tas Lhe oplrJ , .,r Lite p ersonnel at rlashvill e t hat their balloon was not rCSfOll:.J iblc for t 1 ' i . , , ting because Lhe rate of aGccnt of t he balloon is approximately 1000 .ft r "' i rttt e . Due to the distance betHec n liashville and Alcoa , t he balloon " i :.~ bee n Hell out of si~ht v ertically even if the vinds had taken it 1 1 . : ccctioll . The l-rincls at t;as hvi).le at the time of the balloon release ,r th:1t they conceivably coult.l have carried the balloon in this general t , n . The p ersonne l at the Kno:A'Ville '1.-reather station stated~ that tlle;-; rp n not feel t..he 11a~i1Ville baJ.looll or their m-m could have been rcspons.i.ule .C'c.J t rtc Dighting due t o the rapid rate of aGcent of the balloons. They also sent. :>r . : aloft at l)OOZ. 5. This sightinc ~.1 ,: 1' 0 s uggest some type of a ircraft or .balloon. lt l-TaS observed for ten to ~ 1 minutes and t herefore had n. very slmf rate. of speed. Hm-1ever ~ all inf' . 1 H\ received regarding stlch a poss~bil.ity uas negative. The possibilH " 1 t the object could have been one of the t\-TO military jet aircraft (~-11!:0) i.n the air at the time 1.ms ruled out by SOURCE when she stated that she ,.. 'r:J not tell 'l.rhether or not the object made any n oise because jets Here t - ;-off at the time. 'fhose tHo u ere t he only jets aloft at the time , and t. t::te going up on a routine training flight. It is highly improbable that one of the three civilian airlines aircraft was responsible for the sighting because they came directl y into t he rfunicipa+ Airport uithout being in the air in the inunediate viclnity for more than five minutes. They did not chan.ge their courses radically as suggested by SOUI{CE. They rrere also ver.f lmv i-ihen passing ove r Alcoa. Ba l loons from loc3.l l-reather st~tions must be ruled o ut on the b:].sis of i n fo-r.t"'ti.on r.;~eivnd fron t.he 6 . The preparine officer has no opinions rcc;artlint.; this UF09 unless it was some other type balloon about uhich vre h~ve no inforr.1ation and 1-1hich 1tould rise at a different rate o~ speed than Heather balloons, or possibly reach a pre-determined altitude and remain there as it moved horizontally acros s untry. It i s interestin~ to note, hoHev er, that i.n r:pite of the:: l :tr:-::e sizJ :::..:porL:; oi .:t ._;1ound c;.ightl ! \:::;;r_ l!'lfu.i~. He.i.tiler \>il..!rc a:w u~St;r-..r.::n,ior.s w:.J.:.;J t;J personnel in 1.!te airborn~:: aircraft in the immediate area at the time of the ighting. No t.~::i.ng sho\-lcc up on radar screens and the possibility of its b eing a l-Teather balloon has bee~ ruled out by l-reather p ersonnel. Add this to the flOTE: TH:S OOCUMEN r CO'lTAINS INFORMATION A"FECTINS THE tlATION<\L DEFCIISt: OF TilE lti1TEO STAT:5 WITHIN TliE /.' EMliNG or rHt: ESPIO:~;G( ACT, 50 U S. C-\ M40 V AS AMENDED ITS Ti'lANSMI!>;;IQN Oil THE REVi:LATION OF IrS CON TEN rs IN ANY MAN NCR TO Atl UNAUThOE1tZEO PE~SOrl I~ ?f,()H'DITt:D BY Ll.'.'/. WPGJ 75 YDD'75 VYA:63 VDD : s RP. RJ EDEN ~)f~ RJZPHO RJF.? :: : ZHL RJESl<E DE RJESKB 3A~- Fl1 OIC FL T 2 - P. 46''2D AIS~ t'r.GHEE TYSON A?RT 1<!-lOXVlLLE TF.Nf TO RJEDEN/CCt1DH 46~'2D AJ.SS NT AFB COLOSPRGS COLO RJEDEN/CONDR AOC tNT AF1: C:OL OSPRGS COLO RJDl-i?/CO~DR AIH TECH lF" 'II rt:TR \.fRIGHT PATTERSON AFB CHIO RJEPHO/ DI R CF 1\nELLIG~: : tr' ~sAF \JASHil~GTCtiDC P.JI-PNE/ CCt'.DTI ZADF sTSHAr. I \! , ~:v RJESl<B!CCt!DR 35T H ADD D'. (" AFE G A /ut1CLf,SSIFIED/AlS2B 1112 ,.,,. IIFCB THE FOLLOOlll\G I~ S!JEV.ITT D I N 2 Ct-~r DTE 12 AUG 54 PD CCI"iPLlA~CE t,.JITH PAR 7 r A. ALt'-10ST SQUARE E L ARGE BEACHBALL C ERCHNISH PAGE TWO OF RJSSKB 8 A I OBJECT APPRARED TO Bt: SOLID A\D t-:OVING I N CIRCULAR ~:OTI 01'! t--:OVING FROti NORTH TO }!CRTHEA ST SLCi ! ::;?-:ED A1 :n r-;CVF.D OFF T O NORT:1S AST E7.H Itm TREES A!~D CVER HORIZON A CESERVER WAS SITTING I N YARD AND NOTICED CEJECT I~ SKY E CEJECT UP AnOUT 45 DEGRF:Es UP O~ll.Y ABOIJT a~ DEGREES GOING EEHI NG TREES D OBJECT MOVING SLO\vLY FHO!'! ~lOTRH TO NORTHEAST E OUT OF LINE OF VISION DIJF T O TREES AND HORUZOt~ f. GRCUt!D VISUAL E VCNOCULARS OVSERVER Jlf',ll 1'1111' TO GET PINOCULARS FRet-! HOUSE AND OVSE~VE !'. F!CC:< GARD::::I! ALCOA TEtl!'E.SS~E Sfl.ST OF t-:CGHEE TYSCN MUN APRT TENN S 3 1 YRS OLK :rcusBJIFE PAGE TliREE RJESKB 8A A ERIGHT SUN CLEAR HOT NC CLCUD NO WI~D B SURFACE 51< Fti NOT AV /\1 LA BLE I NOT AVAIL!\BEL 1\ct.E CLEAR AREA OF S IGI!TTNC: 1~. FIVE AIRCRAFT I N AR~A lFO S I GliTING 11. THERE ~fERE FIVE l<NCtHl AIRCRAFT I N H~t1EDI AT AREA AT Tir~E OF SIGHTING I TT;JO ti:IL ITARY P !LOTS OV Sf.RVSD t~ OTHING THSEE AI RLINES HAVING A I RCRAFT AI R AT TII-'.E OF S IGHT H ;G \iERE: CALLED BUT REPORTED t\lEGAT I VE OBSERVATIOS~ ~EATHER CO~DITIONS WERE CLEAR WITH GOCD VI SI BILITY t!O WEATHER BALLOSN RSLEASED I N lr'H1EDIATE AREA FOR THREE HOURS PRZVIOUS T O OP. F OLLOvTING S!GHTI~G NO OPSERVATIONS R:CCRDED ON RADAR NC CES~RVATIC~S CALLED CONCLUSI CN U~t.I,.JtS4"1 I' I ED ,'.IJlS'il<ICA fiO'lJ AF F'ORM 112 APP' !OVCO I JUII.E 1'118 I USA . 2B-UFOB- 4-55 I AIR IN fE!..U:JENCE INFORMATION REPORT Ak[A tllo'Oll Tf.ll ~ ALCOA, TENNESSEE UATC OF l!lf'U!tr 12 Seote~ber 1955 JA~IES N KULPA~, lst Lt , u::,\? iii.FFRlNC-"; t<.:tlt;;. nnw.hrr, ,fttt<ti,,, prctitH4 rrr ,,, r , ':t Hf'tlll~.o~hlr) Sq Guide 200-2 dtd Mar )5, T'l' AIS2B lll-2 ut :;ro;o~ J./tlont iO..uro IJJ :~nr ltf t llc:~inltrl of rtpe>rt Qfl riP Form/:.!-l'urt l/) I. CONTJ:m.s : J)<.)!H!r lot-ion of sight.ing T"lnJw ssee. hou sevtife .tAR'r T \-10 : rlt-i il't'l p t ion of sir.hting years old and housewife. PAf!'r Tllll.L!!;: 11-i'! i r-men tary Inves tign t i ve Efforts PART FOUR: c., , ... 1,1."' o f Prepar i ng Officer II. SU11!1A.RY: Uli\)i:s d sighted by 2-trs l 9 Sep 55 at 1800Z in Rt' l e :1s residential a rea p o \.n tt:8 out object to }1rs as they sat on la...m t..)~;9 ,.:. Infor:'ld1ion conta from the persons obs~rv object .:t.'1..! fro:n 'ln determine t.he possiblft .. ' )t' s ighting . on Friday, of Alc~a, Tennessee East of wa!J GJGF 024l~ . Mrs a nait~hbor, s report nas obtain~d inve!lti~[.:,ion C0nduC((.>d to III. INVfSTIOA'l'O~.'l . : LT JAl'Ii!S N KTJU'AN , AOJ01726J :. /lC ERNEST L MUNN AF 2518502J tNct.c; (Soe individual Parts) OISTffiOUTIOti UY ORtr.mr,TOil AI> N IU;I..PAN OI C Flight 2 - B JOHN M Y.IHITE JR C O::!nl'.!tdQ r D/I. USAFJ Comdr, AriCJ D/I, 35ADiv; Comdr, 4602d AISS1 ore. Fl i ght 2-B, 4602d AISS AF FORM 112-Pr\RT II A!'PROVED 1 JUr;e: 1318 AIR INTELLiGENCE INFOR~AATION REPORT Flight 2- B, 4602d AISS 6 I . SOURCE: Mrs Occupation: Housewife Education: Graduated f rom. High School Qualifi.cat:lons: No formal training. Ordinary Housewife. II. RELl~DILI1~: as she could remember. change d s t rlpc of objec I potTHCE was completccy thorough with her description as far ~iltllltCb. ve~J cooperative and of average intelligence. SOURCE ',, ... J I,L ~ref ore reliability of details questionable. III. SOUHCE ' S Dl!llr I! l l' I I 'Ill CJF SIGH1'H:G: SOURCE and Hr were si ttim; in front yc~r l ')II , Alcoa, Tennessee (GJGF 024L.) . SOURCE oh:>crved object , 11 '.t)Z Sep 55 in air coming from the North and pointed it out t o t: t.hen went into house for binoculnrs. Object came from north and moved in r l .u motion. A.llnos t overhead object turne d east'\tard, speeded up and headed r.. . !1lnd trees and out of sight. Object was in sigh t from ten t o fifteen m.inut.<=>J but because of difficulty in finding binoculars it was observed for only a s h ,)r t time -through the binoculars as it was leaving. SOURCE first stated objP'' ..r:v3 almost square, colored bro"Vm and about the size of a large beach ball helcl . .rros l e ngth. Object larger than basketball and not as _large as an ordinm:r .<n' t 'l i 'P tire held at anns l ength. Later SOURCE eave same storVabout size and c u , stated object was solid and pointed like a rocket and 'fiad small stubby wit. . J.;ts from Y.cGhee-'l"Json Nun Aprt ( GJGF 0144) lfe r e taking off and no sound )d .from object . souncl!: had no ideas l.Jhat object might h ave been or what caused u .. AF FORM 112-PART II APPROVED I JUNE 19~8 (CI.ASSIFICJ. TION) AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT rRo~' t.l:,cucvJ Flight 2- 3, 4602d AISS PAGE 3 OF 6 PAGES I . SOUHCE: Hr s Occupation: Iwur:ewife Ed.J.~ation: Clraduated from high school Qnalif i catiollf.J: l iu formal training. Ordinary hou!;clife I I . RELIABILITY: sotmCF. c:rtpo mtive and of ave rage i ntelligence . SOURCE did not remeJtber si~.e or nh<'fh ~,c l'l e nough t o describe thor ouGhly. III. SOUHCJ~ S DESCIUP'l'.l 1;. , W toeether at Lime of sich I i .. section I , Part one) [J I GHTil~G: SOURCE and Nrs tory is same a::; Nrs AF FORM 112-PART II APi'ROVEO 1 JUNE 1918 {CLASSIFICATION) AIR INTELUGENCE INFORMATION REPORT Flight 2- B, 4602d AISS SUPPLENEN1'AHY INVF.STIGATIVE Ecr~ ~TS: 1. A check with the r~cGhee-~son Weathe r Station was made by Flight 2- B, 460~d AISS and the followirJ i 1liormation was r eceived: As of 091500Z Sep 55 there were n o clouds or wind. Bri~ht sunny day with visibility of nine (9) miles. Winds were: surface 5K fm 300 der~, 6000 ft lOK fm 300 deg , 10000 ft 6K fm o60 deb , 16000 80000 ft not O.V;:J.ilabl a . A:J of 092100Z Sep 55 the weather station reported still there were no clouds. The day was still brieht and SUili1Y" with a visibility of nine (9) miles . 2 . A c.:ll!~Ck \'lith tho HcOltcc-Tyson flight fliGht service r evealed three airplanes from commercial airlines ~IEH'e 1n air at time of siehting. Airlines called but reported n'1~0 tlve observut . .i ons . 'l'l!~ .:wtronomet ' . ! : ~rniversity of Tennessee ha::; no r0t,-ular reportjng f or information '"'.! t.herefore baa no information. Knoxville Filt .. , r',.:u t I'I" reported neeative reports from observer s . tracks in arc:t , i n Lake City, Tennessee was contacted and reported . lt.ting. 6 . Pilots from NcGr ~r: -Tyson Mun Aprt \-rho Here taking off. at time of spotting wer e c ontacted and r epo1 V.d negative siehtines. 7. Base ;intellir,e' ' Ticer reported negntivt:l .. 8 . The Asheville " contacted and they :; . Station in Asheville , North Carol.i na they do not send up weather ballo.ons. 9. t !n''ologist at the Weather Dureau Airport Station in Nashville , Tennessee 0 .. ;?10) 1-ras contacted and he indicated that a weathnr balloon was released fro11 ~-~.3 station at 1500Z on the date of spotting. Spotting occurred at 1800Z which :i .'1 on.cy a lapse of three hours for the balloon to travel approximate~ 175 miles. 10. Nax"t~ell Flight Service in Nontgomery, Alabama (FJDD 10 15) wa s contacted . Captain Buswell, Oper~tions Officer, reporte d no experimental aircraft in air tha t ay and that no flight p lans were filed for flights to be in the area of spotting. AF FORM 112-PART II APPROVED I JUNE 19<8 (CLASSirtCATIOI4) AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT FROM I.-1~11Cf) ' 2B-UFOB..J.~-55 P t Four Cont' d Flight 2 .... n.., l~602d AISS CQr.ll!ENTS of Pr0paring OfficP.r Continued: fact that SOURCE c:hanged llor description of the object from being almost square in the prel:illllnar.r invest.i.gAtion to being pointed like a rocket and havin~ stubby wings i .n the follmr-up i.nvt~H tigation, and one can only wonder a bout the reliability of this r epo:c t. A11ES N KULP AN ore Flieht 2-B COMMENTS of Approving C, i : . .. 1. Duo to t he chiHtt;e ot' d~serip.tion of tho objoct from "'a l !!lost square and about the cize of A l:etLC, t~U held at anna l e!lg;th" to "'pointed like a rocket with small s-tubby winge'' i t 1 ~ 1a opinion of this headquarters that the vritne~::~ can be eonsiderpd unreltabt 1 2 o In vion .of tho \ .. '", it eo.n ,:he as.sumsd ,.that thp SOURCE error 111 othet st'llteman~ '1 ~ ta::h as the duration of the fliGhting. of this headquarters that th~ SOURCE poasi bly mi~interprflted one aircraft kno\m to bo i n ... ,. a area at the timo of the s ightint. is probably in I t is the opinion or more of the