PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 2. LOCATION CONCLUSIONS 0 Was Balloon ~ \fnrch 1957 Between Mackville & Arrity, 0 Probobly8olloon bl Y Boll oon . Locai 2_!_0_0 E_S_T n . r..round-Visual 0 Ground-Radar Wos Aircraft KJS:' BlX Probably Aircraft 5. PHOTOS &. SOURCE 0 Waa Astronomical 0 Probably Astronomical 0 Possibly Astronomical 7. LENGTH OJI.OIS!ltVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS 9. COURSE 0 Fm NW, circlecg 10. BRI!JI suwu.Y Ofl SIGHTING ~ne o bject long w/round nose, 30 feet ~ODJ color g zay-white, green light very ~right width of nose-flame 3 0 feet . ~ong, no soun d , a l t 2001) feet t o 500 f e e t . Object iad e d irom v1ew. ATlC FORW 329 (REV 28 SEP 52) 11. COMMENTS Possible o./c afterburn er. lnsufficint Oato fot Evaluatio n sight1ug , jet W/ PRBLIUINARY CONCLUSION OF UNlDE~I~ 07 P.Ai.~ A~RlC:.t\N AIRLI11X CAPTA I l~lG OBJECT R2POR1' oN 9 !JAnca 1957 1. There is ao lliag .. lA to believe tha "t the object other a .. bolide," to as a "fireball." Th-are Ye71!"'f rarelJ obJect codo1118 tl~ ritb tbe de J'eporla eivecl by tbe Air Techll1ca1 iptioa of fi 11 lntlliaence Cent~ duriq tlae last tea 1. of b7 th li Yowk uai& of tbe Air laielli Serw ~ flartller ~U.. thi luioa. 111 detailed deeo~i.P- t ia brief, uipt lipt with a . halo," ide8 witb tbe deeo~ipti sivea b~ tbe other c 3. ....... oltjeate. an 11 uipt, 18-bl ...... twa J , ualille , do JlOt bura t.tw.- ... pi ... .UU~. Ia IUl4i 'tiell, tbe , .. to Air .. 1a tJae uea a'& uae tU., Alr ......... IMIYi.... wre 1. Tile aH-. bJ' tJae pnea to ._.bow late V ...,. .al .. be rul.. .TbS p wa. aot 'llaible at tJaa't tiM aatl :30 1a the at tel7 310 ai~ ... , of JaoluloaYille, 71oz-lda AJ'OIX/Gea Lewia/aJ/55ol3/l~ aiM llu aciYi ~J 1'aa Air P11et, ><let u ..W..Uii~ :flJial obJ ... tto.a of ou-Ua1dellttf1M (COPY GEN. WATSONS MSG! TO HQ USAF RE PAA DICIDErrl' OF 9 Mar 57 ) DE YFWKC 4 UlfCLASSIFIED FM AFSSO ATIC TO AFSSO HQ USAF UNCLAS EF1'0 CITE: A4-155. (PZRSO.NAL FROM GENERAL WATSON TO COL CHAPPEL.) REQUEST FOR SOME FLBM CONCLUSIONS OR EXPLANNfiON REGARDING PAN A."'ERICAM .AIRLDiE INCIDEI'f, 9 MAR 57. ON THE BASIS OF AJJ. DATA A.1D EVIDEL,CB AVAII.ABIR ~J'SE FOLLOWING ARE COliCWSIOMS OF ATIC: A. 'mERE IS NO COMPEIJ.DIG :REASO. '1'0 BELIEVE THAT THE OBJ'EC'r. W.AS a.~l'B7'11lPift"I:R 'fHAM A "BOLIDE I COMC>liLY RE!i'ERRED '1'0 AS A "FIREBALL, II TBFSE ARE VERI RARELY EIICOWI'fP:RED; BU'1' 'mE 0~ CONFCOOE EXACTLY WITH THE DFSCRIPTIOif OF FIREBAIJ, REP0MS RECEIVED BY ATIC :OORDIG 'l'BE LAST TEJ YEARS. B. 01 OF CAPT MORlmfG BY THE NEW YORlC UNIT OF 'l"HlS 46o2D AISS; FUR'PHER CONJPDIE THIS COlfCLUSIOJr! HIS DETAII.ED DESCRIPTIOB Il'l BRIEF; "DAZZLDO BRIOH LIOBT -WITH A GREENISH HALO," COINCIDI!iS WI'l'B 't!iE DESCRIP'l'IOII GIVD BY THE CTtBER CREW MEMBERS. . c: TBI$11 OBJECTS ARB GE*ERAI.I.Y OBmRVSD OILY A FEW SECO~; ARE SUR! lmiGft; RSS'RMBLilWJ JIAQIISilJN FI.ARES; Alm tniLIKE NE'fEOBS GENRRAIJ;(; 00 ?IO:r 1IJR1I ILVlSS OU! IN 'fB!! UPPER MXlSPSERE; BUT COBl.'llfiD DOWJI '1'0 uaiiR LSVII.S. 'f88IR EIICOUlf'r!R CAB BE A FRI , PARfiCU"Uil.Y m A PI!CH-BI.J\CK NIGHT; AS DESCRIJgi> BY CAP'l D. MrJ!:J' ISOD JEl'S ABE RULED OUT. '11!! I,A'l"NR IS COD'IRMBD BY A T.JX FROM SAC AiD AOO; REPOH'tlE THAT rro AIRCRAn W!RJ!: Ill 1U AREA N! ,.~19rog TIME. 'fBI F~ mNf OfHZR PilD%5 APPROXDIA~LY 175 KO&S AWAY OBSERVED THE OBJIC! Ill .8*8 Jlllllft, RULIS oor AIRCRAPI' AID MISSTIES. E. ALTHOUJB ., BAS BECEIVBD . PA!l'RICJC A7B AB I 1.~ BDJABDiltQ "BWAWAl" OB O'l'HBR GUIDED MISSIIB OPB:RA!l'IOIS; THIS PQSSIBII,,I'l""'~ SEE~e lTrU:.IKBLJ .. . : FIRINGfl .ARK WU.ATJ,Y WBDfG ~ DM .AN'D BJ:lP()RS. lA lD ; '1 bE GE:NERAL FIRDIJS ARE 1W.A.ROO THE SE; AHD 'fHJ;! COORSE OF 1111 OBJEC'l APPEARID TO CCICK FBOII1'8B WJ:ST. F TB 8. BY 'I'll PRESS TO SOMEHOW RJI Aft VDUS; MJS~ ALSO RULED ovt. '111 rs VAS 110'1' VISI 811 N!t me AID pr,ACB: 3: 30 Ill 181 lllRIIDO; Ill APP!IOXI .A71I~ 550 )fiJi'S BAS!' (11 JACISOIIYILLB, FLORJDA. IT IS 'lUI C:. 'tats Oi'PICI, ST Ill RESPOEB !0 Aft QUERUS BY THI R!QARJ)TliG ~ DIC 'ml AIR lORCI BRIEfLY STA'rl, A. 011 'CBC BASIS OF IltORMA1'IOB lOW AVATI AJ~ 'iSC PIIDl' tiitDOOBf!DLY ENCOUDI!RED All OBJECT VERI RARELY SKKI, A "BOI.IEJE" OR "J'XREBALL". ~fHIS CODICID!S WI'IB 1ftl DISCRIP'l'I<m Of OBJ!Cm IDE&i'IFIIID AS "FIREBAlLS" RECBIVBD aY M'IC OVIR A PBBIOD at 'fBI DABS. B. 'fk R r ACT. '!BA1' 1'SI O&JZC'f VAS OBSERVID BY ANO'!IlBR AIRCRArf 175 MIT" TO ttBR DAR RULES OU'f auiDI!:D MISSnES AID (THIS IS '1'0 COMBA1' '11JB OF nFLYDG SAUCERS" AND SO'/Ift MISSTI.I A..'fD " " OUR SBORZS. ) C. THESE COKCIJJSIOIS WIRE COICURRED WI'l!l B't A WELL-KNC'a .ASTROlf<)MKR _'\:.'fil AS~SICIS'f FROM '1118 SMI'ffiSOIJIAlf ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY TO ~f'diCH THE REPOR'r WAS FOR BIS INDEP!NDEI~ REVIEW SIGi.1ED: HAROLD E. WATSOlf; BRIGADIP!Q GUERAL, USAF COMMAIIDER ATIC JUST RECEIVED FROM PMRICX AFB STA!!!S: .;asi:) I.&. 0.-E.RM.'IONS DUanfG 'lfUT PERIOD. Coneluaioae FILE CLASS: _ OFFICIAL FILE COPY I _oFFICE OF RECORD I Pan Anwrican Ui'O Inciaent., e~ ~t;lWt to r~ ~ tin cca- tb1a inciter~ to be .m.l"-1 to bia ~ IC~t"ce u . a. tile buta Ott. to Ml'IC'a nqQed t&W z0. ~cmpell;1ng reaa ~, l!-elJft: -tba\ tt. di.lJec'\. I . ft*C'til7 Vita '' . Al ...... ...... beeD nce1wd ft1a .ia'tiriU Ma .. W ~ _..,... WI JtOHiMlliW tile ......u t1riDp ~ ... , tbe c:oan. flit to be f'na to ~.:. U TCNC A~'D COORDINATtON SHEZT F ll E ClASS:---- 0 FFICIAL Fll E COPY _OFFICE OF RECORD ~. 'J.'.be . ~ tbe pz-eea to aaneilow %"elate Venus, waat al.ao out. ~ plMet waa not visiole at that ani places 3~30 moJmi'D(h a-t 350 miles West a:l Jackacnvill-e 3. ot ia tba :tact tbat our and aw1labl.e data ttea to tba .Aaociata DiB:tor r4 tbe tbaoata Aatr~kal ._,,._ia. Bet~ cgac\D'a: b!a c~ ncl , t1ae A'r a. tM laMia af .. li._ b7 tbe' cou witla tbe a..:r1pt1aa ~ carftillilr !'<O IJTrNG AND COORDTNATION SHEI!:T A.FWP-Q-!10 NOY Sll 291 Following prepared li.minary reports on STATEMENT BY DR. mNEK .pt1:1.1n Gregory after an examination of pre- case of 9 March 57: a. Bolides, or fireballs, differ from ordinary meteors in that they are very much brighter (sometimes transforming night into temporary day) and appear like a magnesium flare hurtling through the lower atmosphere, and in that they persist to much lower levels in the atmosphere. Pre- dominantly white-yellow in color, these often have orange and ~eenis.~ tints intertDixed. A bolide is generally a mass of meteoric material that ignites through :f"riction with the earth's atmosphere. It becomes visible at heights above 50 miles but, unlike an ordinary meteor, does not burn out in the air but frequently persists until it crashes to ear.th. b. A close encoun.ter vi th such &n object is an extremely rare occurrence, and represents a frightening experience. However, astronomical records sb.ow that people who have observed real fireballs (and tbe majority of people don~t see one in a lifetime) grossly underestimate their distance. There are cases on record in which two observers 200 miles apart both reported the fleming Qbj!!Ct to have landed "just beyond the hill" or "in the next f'iald." c. A fireba.ll appears to travel at uncoanonly high speeds (actually . travel at 6-4o.afles per second} and tbe great appe.rent angular r&te leads even the best observers unconsciously to re!&l'd object as very much closer than it actual..ly Ya8. A typical fireball lasts tl:'om a ft!!V seconds to 10 or 2Q at most. d. In present instance, a pilot 175 miles away saw it simultaneously, it lasted 5 seconds, and it had tbe appearance of a flare. Even the greeDiah c olor reported :fits the pattern of a typical, but rare, observation of a e One case of a bolide comes to mind in which a truck driver, late a t night, drove the truck completely oft the road as a result of the light received by a fireball sighting, a firebal l that landed several hundred miles :f'rom the truck. f. There is therefore no basic evidence that contradicts the hypothesis that the Pan .American flight had an encounter (and perhaps at some distance) vi th a bolide. Tbe reported fact that object passed beneath right wing is explainable by the fact that bolides do crash. to earth and do often appear to perform a .low) nearby horizontal path. g. However, although the evidence is not contradictory, and although it appears probable that the sighting was due to a bolide, the possibility of a guided missile or flare is, of course, not ruled out, but all available informati on does not indicate the presence of sucb at the time of sighting - Dr J. A. Hyne Associate Director Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory 5. BEllJ'EEN MOCl<VILLE, CMA N.c. AND MT. ARRIY CMA N c EU P. MA FLA CMA PHON. 492405 CMA LING DISTANCE TRICK DRIVER PAGE THREE RJESKB 6D 7. DUE TO THIS REP!'. BEING RECV'D THREE DAYS LATE A. NO WEATHER AVAILABLE 11. OPERATIONS OFFICER 661TH ACWRON CMA NO COMMENr 12/1552Z MAR RJESKB I lP TO .)!> FT LONG Cr1A FHUNT WAS Iff> TU 1~ F"f lN DIAMETEH CMA FLARED OU.T TOWARDS TAIL Cf1A SINGLE VERTICLE FIN PD A. LONG CMA ROUNT NOSE B. ~ FT LONG c. GRAY DASH WHITE F VI DTH OF NOSE WAS GREEN LIGHT Ct1A VERY BRIGHT G. FLAME CMA 39 FT LONG H. NO SOUND CMA PAUID SPECIAL ATTENTIONFOR SAME CMA NOT AVAILABLEPD 2. AP?ROACHIDFROM NV MADE. COMPLETE CIRCLE A. SAW IT THROUGH WINDOW OF TRUCK B. ~p FT WHILI APPROACHING THEN DECINDED TO 588 FT c. see rr D. APPROACHED rROM NV MADE COMPLETE CIRCLE CMA DESAPPEARED IN NE t. FADED OUT OF VIEW F. TWO MINUTES 3. NAKED EYE A. GROUND VISUAL R. ~ NARCH 57 CMA 2400 9 MARCH 1957 PTPPZ B. NIGHT CMA VERY CLEAR PP RJEDEN RJEDWP RJIPWH RJEPNB DE RJESKB 6D FM COMDR 661TH ACWRON ~ACDILL AFB rLA TO RJDEN/ COMDR ADC ENT AFB COLO RJESKB/COMDR 35TH ADIV DOBBINS AFB GA RJEDWP/COMDR AIR TECHINT CNTR WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB OHIO RJEPHQ/DIR OF INT HQ USAF WASH DC INFO RJE'PNB/COMDR EADF STEWART AFB NY /UNCLA~S!FIED/OPS ~12!' PD' ATTNS EADF CIC PD --- -~- . . This incident received Yride newspaper mention~ '!'he Research Section has in- vestigated it, as special representatives of NICAP as well as for CSI, and the following account is the result. A few minutes before midnight on JJarch 8, 19.57, Captain t s airliner up from Idlewild ort bound to San Juan, Co-pilot , Flight Enr,ineer r-md stewardesses completed the crevr on Pan l\."'iler c:m J' irl:Lnes flight 257-There were "+"+ passengers aboard. 7he flight n~s routine, excep!:, that it vras necessary to keep to the west of the normal flight course in order to a-.;oid a storm center farther out in the Atlantic. At 3:33 a.m. (EST) the plane was far out over the Atlc.ntic, about 650 miles to the east of Jacksonville, Florida, flying at 19,000 feet on a south-by-east heading. (bet"rreen 160 and 17.5 true). At this point, the flight abruptly ceased to be routine. About 80 to their right, Uashuta simultaneously saw a brilliant light. had the impression of seeing an orange glorr at first, although he :ras la er uncertain about this detail. At any rate, it seemed come out of nowhere," and ir.unediately assl..lr.'!.ed the appearance of a round_, bril- liant greel".ish- rThi te "spotlight," almost as large as a full moon. The light appeared "contained, having a clea r and ".'tell-defined edge; Vlashuta de$eribed it as urim-like around the edge. This rim" seer.ted to reflect a green- ish .color' Yrr..ile tl~e cente!'" -:ras a brilliant :rhi te. It looked like a spotli gh t directed to the front of them, so that t hey were not looking directly into the source of light. first thought was that it might be a jet interceptor with a spot- light in the noseJ but he immediately rejected this idea because of the brilliance of the light, and "because they (interceptors) always come at least by t wos -one pulling alongside of you ready for action, the othe r thro;ring a spotlight on your ident~.fication markings from a distance to find out vtho you are The object seeoed to be of about airplane ~i~e, and n