PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 2. L OC.a.-riON 12 CONCLUSIONS Hokllaid.o, 0 Was Balloon 0 Probably Balloon 3. DATE.TIME GROUP TYPE ? F OBSERVATION Possibly Balloon 0 Ground-Visual 0 GroundRodar Wos Aircraft 0 Probably Aircraft .l:l Ai,. Visual 0 Air-Intercept Radar 0 Po ssl bl y Ai rcroft EJX Was Astronomical 0 Probably Aatronomicol milita!:;I (F-86 Pilot) 0 Possibly Astronomical 7. LENGTH OP.OBSERVATION 8. HUMBER Ofl OBJECTS 0 Insufficient Data for Evaluation to. BRIEf SUMMARY OP SIGHTING On mission at 25 ,oOO a red glow or high ineasity was sighted (stationary). Fi~st looked like a/c on fir~ or after~ burner; First spherical shape, then changed to oblong, retaining brightness. disappeared gradually vith:l.n 1 min. ATIC FORW 329 (REV 26 SEP 52) 11. COMMENTS Refraction of setting moon. See Dr Hyne~ evaulation JOINT MESSAGEFORh1' OONMUMICA nONS CENTER ItO. ............ ----SPACaABOVB l'OR COMMUNICATIONS CENTBR ONLY,_-------~ FROM: (Or;,lnator) DATEnME GROUP PRECEDENCE Acnott 0 BOOK MESSAG& REFERS TO MESSAGE: Requ~st clarification. COOODINATION: nrelc A.:Mfleyj UNCLASSIFIED PP RJAPAD RJEDWP RJEDEN 16 IE RJEPHQ 148 lM HED USAF WASH D C 10 RJAPAD/COMFEAF TOKYO JAPAN INFO RJEDWP/AIR TECHNICAL li'1TIL RJEDEN/C!NCONAD ~T AFB COLO CENTER WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OHI FROM AFOIN-2A1 53453 YOU INDICATIONS MESSAGES NO. 53 AND 56 PASSED TO AFOIN-4 (ATIC) FOR AN LUATION. AfOIN-4 , HAs REQUESTED CLARIFICATION 'YOUR. MESSAGL--~HICH STATES QUO'fE; AT ., TiiE TIM OF INCIDENT THE MOON WAS AT 191 DEGREES FROM THE POSITION OF THE AIRCRAFT END QUOTE AFOIN-4. QUERRIES QUOTE SHOULD NOT THIS AZIMUTH LOCATION READ 291 DEGREES. A POSITION OF 1~1 DEGREES WOULD LOCATE THE MOON IN SSE DIRECTION AT TlMEOF SETTING \~HEREAS A POSITION OF ~1 DEGREES WOULD ESTABLISH THE CORRECT APPRO X !MATE LOCATION IN THE WEST AT SETTING END QUOTE. REQUEST YOUR COt1ME~T DE ADDRESSED TO AFOIN-4 (ATIC) WITH INFO AT ADC AND THIS ll EJ\PQUARTERS. UNCLASSH n.JJ ?P i( J.!:D!!]: i<JZDTJJP RJf:PHQ F:1 COi1DR F2AF TOKYO JAPAr~ QXC1 59 QDA03 8 PQA152hDA0 5 l L TO RJE:D\JP /CO ''li)f( AT IC I;' R IGHT PATTERSOi'! AFB DAYTON OHI O NFO RJZPHQ/COt1DR !IDQ USM~ \JAS HI !iGTOr.i D C UUCL DI-E .51664. ATTll t'FOI N- 4 . ATTN AFOI N 2Al. I NTERit. REPLY HDQ USAF t-1 Il:.L BE f()R-+JJ\-iiDE-D UPON REe-E fPT OF INFORMNfi ON. 19 / Z750Z FEC RJAPAD fjt .. I t L FOLLG:JI>iG TC Y<.'U !i EO :.~C TIC f. L rv -~rrr. JOINT MESSAGEFO COMMUNICATIONS CHTR NO. FROM: (Ori~/n.tor) OAn:.nME GROUP' COMDR ATIC TO: D/I ~ US\Jr WASHINGTON 25 D C FOR a AFOIN-2.AJ. 0 BOOK MESSAGE 0 MUL TII'Ll ADDRESS flO O RIGINAL MESSAGI CRYPTOPRfCAUllOH REFERS TO MESSAGE: Reference y our message .5<"n6 dtd Oll902Z Dec c oncerning UFOB sighting by F-86 pUot over Hokkaido, Ja.plln. .Preliminary evaluation by A:CIC as f'ollowst Probable reflection of moon tbrM,.,;. <,h,ud layer. Moon at that time .or ..... lie in first quarter and set sanetime around midnight. The reflection of sw>ligbt fran the moon through a cloud layer would result in the cloud filtering the b.l~ rran the reflection and thus leaving a reddish-orange glow. The moon would not be v 1 ~ t l ~ to the observer due to its low position on the horizon and its obstruu f.l,)Ja fran view by existing cloud layers COORDINATION: DREPEEB.D, REPI.ACES Nf'4E FORN 173. 1 MAY .. WHICK MAY 01! USED. UNCLASS\F\ED RR itJEDvlP ?ARAPURASE NC1' r:-rr,t;\_!U::D 'EXCEPT PRIOR TO 1:"N RJF.Df.JP CATEGOl!Y n r::-:c~\i;~:ro,f-l'HYS!CALLY R'E)toVE ..... ALL lNTE R!iAL :":Ef.1mEXCES BY DATE-TIME GROUIJ ~E\ RJEPHQ 103 PRIOR 10 DEC SSU:'lC...\.\'IOt{ I ~ Ft1 HEDUSAF lvASHDC r S ~-~ J -y_ .... TO RJEDE~I/CINCONAD ENT AFB COLO I ~ ~-~ RJEDHP/ ATIC HRIGHT PATTERSON AFB DAYTON OHIO ~ ';/ "'-.. / /FRm1 CLN AFOIN-2A1 53 03 2 REFEHEN I S MADE TO H Ct111 DATED 1 DEC 1955. FOLLOWING UNEVALUATED MESSAGE~CMM ON SAME SUBJECT CMM FROM COMDR FEAF ON 3 DEC PASSED T O YOUR-HEADQUARTERS. QUOTE CLN THE FOLLOWING INFO FROM THE 39TH AIR DIV INCLUDING A PILOTS I NTERROGATION REPORT I S FORHARDED FOR YOUR Il')FO CLN 1. EVALUAT ION OF PILOT CLN 1/LT DURFEY CMt~ tHLES Ct1t-1 AO 2223024 CI'li'1 339 FIS I S COI-lSI0fRE D A COi-lPLETELY RELIABLE SOURCE. TEE DEBRIEFING OFFICER EVALUATED Till:' SOURCE AND PROBABILITY OF THE I NFORNATICN AS A-2. LT DUHFFY HAS D!TN E N EYEHITNF.SS T O APPROXIMATELY SEVEN NUCLF.AR FYPI.US.IOtJS FRot'l THE GOUND DUP.It~G t'lARCH TO. JUt~E 1954 Ci'H'l FRotl LAS VP1Gr\S Ctdl llf:V/\DA Ct-1r~ APPROY. 8 0 t1ILS AtJAY. FURT'HER STATES HE HAS SELfJ l !I!IJF:ilCUS TRAI NING FIUJS AND ItOVIES OF EXPLOSIONS. PAGE THO RJEPHQ 103 IT IS .. JU.s_ OPH:IOt'J lii,\T IT .HAS AN ATotoJIC EURST AND THAT' S ALL IT COULD 2 . LT DURFEY STATE'J.: Oi!IGINALLY THAT HE THOUGHT !T HAS AT LEAST 2a0 t:IILES A!\JAY CLN LAT[I~ t1ATHEr,iATICAL COMPUTATIONS BY HH1 PLACED THIS ~ FIGURE AS BETTER THAN ... , . t1fJtS. PARAGRAPH 3. 0 2 CMM CAPT 3 VOL I I. RADIOLOG !CAL DEFEtJSE. "Nov' 5'fl'UBLISHED BY AR?-1ED FCRCES SPECIAL ~.fAPONS PROJECT STATES CLN QUOTE I N ONE OF THE TEST EXPLOSIONS AT NEVADA ,... IN 1951 THE GLARE it~ THE SKY Cii:" I N THE EARLY HOUHS OF THE: DA:Jl'l t,~JAS VISIBLE OVER 400 tHLES AtJAY. UNQUOTE. FROIl 25 ,000 FEET IT IS POSSIBLE THAT LT DURFEY COULD HAVE SEEN THE BALL OF FIRE AT 400 OR EVEN t10RE f'l!LES AvJAY. FURTHER THE ABOVE t1ENTIONED VOLUt1E STATED THP.T (>.HIGH AIR BURST WOULD START AT 4 000 AND GO UP TO 30,0 TO 60,0q0 FEET. 3 . THE FOLLO~J!NG IS COPY OF THE SIGNED STATEt,lEi,JT t1ADE BY LT DURFEY l<JHICH IS IN THE I1AIL TO YOUR HEADQUARTERS CLN QUOTE. AT 0 105 HOURS C~1rJ 25 NOVEr!B";.R 55 C~i~1 I HAS SCRM1BLED OUT OF CHITOSE UrLCE~ THE C.l\LL PICKUP CE A PRESUt1ABL Y UNI<NOl-Hl AIRCRAFT. THE VECTOR FOR OUR FLIGHT OF THO F -86D AIRCRAFT HAS CIVEt~ TO US 362i DEGREES C!il: AND T;J t~RE TO ACENT TO At! ALTITUD~ OF 25,02J0 FEET HHILE CLil'JBI G OUT otl THIS HEADING. I MMEDIATELY AFTER TAKIOFF CMi1 NY WINGMAN' S RADIO#RECLIVER BECAME INOPERATIVE AND COULD NOT BE COt!TACTED FOR THE RENAit\DER OF THE FLIGHT. trENT I t!TO A THifl OVERCfiST AT A90llT 6 , 002l FEET A~!f. BP.OKE OUT AT UNCLASSlFiEO AND HAS FOLLOHH{ \1 ~.JITH THE AID OF HIS RAT 1 . THERE ~JEPS NO CLOUD CONDITIONS'-,JF ANY KH-:D ABOVE LAYER.F0h_t1ENTIONED CM!1 AND THE VIS I E I L ITY tv AS EXTREi1EL Y GOOD. fi.T APPROX 0113 1 CMM LOCATION HD 656 Z CtlM ALTITUDE 25, z FEZT A~!G ON HEADING OF 360 DEGREES._!, 6ECA~F AHARE OF A P.EI: GLO~l T0 >!Y LZFt. AT FIRST IT APPEARED TO BE A "REFLE"C T ioNr'RCH1 Tf'irCOC ~< fS!f Il\ST RU!1E~H LIGHTS CMM BUT I EL Ir1 I NA TED THAT POSSIBILITY BY PUfTit:G ~1Y HAi':D AGAINST THE CANOPY AtlD PEERING THROUGH T~JO SPREAD Fli-.Gf.RS JiiTH -i'iY HEAD AGAINST f1Y HAND. I NEXT THOUGHT THE. GLOH i'1AY BE CO!Hi,iG FROii AN AIRCRAFT ON FIRE C~1~1 BUT AS THE LIGHT WAS NOT MOVING Cl1tl THIS POSSIBILITY t~AS ALSO ELHHNATED Ci1~1 I NEXT THOUGHT THAT THE GLOW ~liGHT DE COi!ING FRO~l THE AFTERBURNER OF ANOTHER CLOSE BY. THIS POSSIBILITY WAS ELIMINATED BY TURNING INTO THE DIRECTION OF THE GLOH. THE GLO':J REi'1AirJF.D STATICllARY AND A HEADING OF._312 DEGREES HAS ESTABLISHED TO PLACE THE LIGHT DIRECTLY AHEAD OF TtlE ~IRCRAFT. AS THE MISSION WAS STILL I N PROGRESS I TURNED BAGj~.--. .T~-~It\G OF 360 DEGREES. AT T HIS P OINT IT HAS ESTit1ATED THAT A LITTLE l10RE THAN TWO MINUTES HAD ELAPSED. SHORTLY AFTER THE TURN ~.JAS STARTED C~1M THE GLO~J BEGAN T O FLATTEN OUT FROtvl ITS ORI GINAL SPHERICAL SHAPE PAREN T O CLARIFY A STATErlENT t1ADE I N AN EARLIER P.EPORT CtIN THIS OBLO~IG OR FLATTENED STAGE COULD BE COMPARED TO THE vJELL KNOtvN " f1ASHROOtl" STAGE HHICH RES ULTS AFTER AN EXPLOSION OF 1 .THIS I< IND. HOWEVER CiIN THE STEr-1 Cti~l lE .. lH~B.f Jit\s.....QtJE_C~1M OF THIS tHJSHROQf:L$.IAGE . ~lAS_.tJ.QI-.V.lS.ll3LE. PAREN THIS GLOH HAS FLATTENED ON A HARIZONTAL PLANE 1\t.JD TilE ILLUr1INATICN IN THIS STAGE LASTED FOR APPROX TtvO tliiJUTr:::s. AFTI::H THIS STAGE THE LIGHT FADED OUT r10DERATELY UNCLASSIFIED PAGE FOUR RJEPHQ 103 FAST CtH"! I.E . IN ~.J_;ij::J.ll8N_Ilj_IRJ:X. G_<?ND_$. t1Y LOCATION ~vAS tvD 8 585 Ct1N HT!\PPP FEET Cm! 11131. THE T OTAL PERIOD OF NY OBSERVANCE THUS ~JAS ABOUT F IV 11 INUiTS. TO A PPROX I:1ATE THE S 12 OF THE GLOH Cll:.-J A SPHERE ONE-HALF INCII I ll DIM1ETER HE.LD AT A ONE YARD DISTANCE FROM THE EYE HOULD SHOt-! I N CC::Il'i\RlSON HHAT I SA~J FROtl THE COCKPIT. AT 5Z0 STATUTE t1ILES THIS ~1\. \RD MAKE THE DIAt-1ETER OF THE SPHERE TO BE SLIGIITLY LESS THAN SfVEN MILES ACROSS. THE COLOR OF THE GLO~ THROUGHOUT TEE ENTIRE TH1E llAS A DEEP RED HITH AN ORA~lGE TINT. IT APPEARED THAT THE HIGHEST eiNTENS ITY OF THE LIGHT HAS REACHED JUST PRIOR TO THE :.LATTENING-OUT PROCESS. H~ THE LATTER PART OF THE OBSERVANCE PERIOD AN E LOt,IGATED DARK OBJECT. APPEARED V.ORIZONTALLY T O THE LEFT AND I N THE HIDDL OF THE SPHERE. THIS CLOSELY RESEl'iBLED A CLOUD FORt1ATION AND BLOCKED OUT APPROXH1ATLY ONt.::-FIFTH OF THE SPHERE. I HAS UNA)3LE TO CONTACT MY WINGMAN. I COULD tJOT GET HIM T O VERIFY ANY OF THIS INFOR- T t1A T I ON. ll NQ U 0'1. oi< FEAF Cot~IIENT CLN AT THE TH1E OF CIDENT THE t100N tJAS A 1 9 1. .DEGREES FROI'l THE POSIT I ON OF THE A I RC RAFT THE IolOON SET AT 2)t0..LL t ' E DATE t:J!( TnAT THIS ~!AS AN ATC;iiC EX PLOSIOI~.