PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 2. LOCATION 3. DATITIMI GIOU~ nP! Ofl OISIRVAT ,pcO,.untl-VI auol D GrountiRodar P.~VJ~CJllars D Air-Intercept Radar 12. CONCLUSIONS D Waa Balloon baltly Balloon Wy Balloon D Waa Aircraft D P robaltl y AI rcroft D PaaaiWy Aircraft D Waa Astronomical D PrabaWy Astronomical :-; 7. LINOTH O,.OIIIIVATION L NUMall 0' OIJICTS 9. COURSI a Other~-~-......--------- 0 lnaufflclent Date for Evaluation one hovered D Unlcnown IIIIP SUMMAIY Ofl SIGHTING Object described variously as sphere, cylinder, oval with what appeared to be spikes or antennae observe~ from a small boat in the water. The objec hovered, rose and desee nded, reverse direction P" moved away. Source gave impression that objec t wa, hostile or sinistor. A'I'IC PORM 329 (R&V 26 SEP 12) 11. COMMENTS Object believed to have been balloon with many corner reflec- tiax tors. These are tested in that area by AFCRC. 34 aircraft were in that area. Checks were made & showe d nothing unusual observecJ. Same also with radar units and otl1er activities in that area. PACE FOUR RJEPDC VQ tl. VIMG STAFF IN--TELLIGENCE OFFICER. WITH WEATHER INVERSION AND Ct.EAR CONDITIONS A GREAT AMOUNT OF REFRACTIVE AND REFLECTIVE ACTION WAS POSSIBLE. NO ANALYSIS OF POSSIBLE CAUSE OF SIGHTING. 13123'2 OCT RJEPDG fft P'lM I NU. ~A,~R ~NTELL~G:EN( )f\j!QRMATION REPORT OA( ~ COLLICTION AC TI\ITY S\JI~ITTI..O lt[,Citf :lq 160St.b Air Trglfqrl. Wtn1 ( M) '"! ' "' IP>fG ll'tO IV I DUAL OAT[ Olr lt(POitT S Itt l'tO IYALUAT lmt 1. Attubed 111 1ft rn-port or unidcnt1t1e4 rl7lns object, crl11ltdrioAl in bape with trlhedml p~t.rtl\l!llontt on tront, back tt..nd ~ar. Sightina w .ll ~ca 1\t 203512Z Oot.ohr 19'7 b1 ttvC~ ~'f'l8f't'-""8~8 l::rbilca on a firabi~g trip ott Ma.rt.N, GJ fiD -d, ~ e,V-~.e huaet t. b. Inol,i~: --=. .,, i"ber throe ia ak$t.ch ot bc*t poaitio~ ir.o. ro1~\t.ioD ~ Chj,t~o:;, at rourc:ua .. . ,., , .b:e to givo boat1 h!tdiDJ or eD\Ot po11it:l . 2. Thill 1Dt"r=ro :l1P was tel phoned in to tb~ BaH ap.r..ticrt.IJ Ofrlo<n-at Ci t:lr.J UB, ~ .. ~t 10\\r~o l1ft to return to Chs.rleaton, South C.uolua. bct'ortt ti~Mq .~a.t l t report lfl-~ ,..., tJ. ~rtvstorilr ccmpletod J. B. lllLLEI Haj or, tJ3U IDtelligaDCe Otticor or; y JTION [jV i'.:l !(i1 ')3AJI ttd fdtt. Jndu:;,le ~1pl /.4/oZ .1n-i .:opi~ w/ o ir.c:/o1ura, i/ pp/;:.b/o) . !Y J..OO 1 Origillal to ;\r,~I, KiiiJUIAr Jl'py to ~ H-l c w/o lnel~ ~ a.Dd 3 Copy to ec.~ ADC . CEILING ALTITUDE OF FORTY THOUSAND FEET CMA FLOATED ON OR NEAR THAT PAGE TWO IJEPBF 3B 1 ALTITUDE UNTIL TVO TO THREE HOURS BEFORE SUNSET CMA AND THEN DESCENDED TO THE SEA BEFORE DARKNESS PD THERE VERE NO PBOJECI.IO~S FROM THE 1 BALLOON .EXCEPT A ! ~ SIABII,IZING. PAYLOAD OF ABOUT FOUR POUNDS .l sPniE TWO FEE; BE.LO'-THE ~J.t,OOH PD THE DEVICE WHICH PERFORMED THE ) SOME TEN MINUTES FROM THE START OF THE TEST PD /S/ ATMOSPHERIC . '1 11/17212 JAN RJEPBF O"ICJINA1'"'G AOIMCY ftr..Citf HO. 1. In acoordace vi th ArR 200-2, dtd .12 .Augu1t 19Sb, to. to11o1d.DI UFOI Nport 11 1ub111 tted. 2 Oil 15 Ootober 1957, tbll following int-... Gl'gtfti II tion 1 tripf oaa to two ai.l.el ot Vood.tbole, htl bntblr lipt.d In t.itiecl t171D1 object at 2035121 i1 data u pnac:ribed 1n (1) Dleorlption ot objeatt (3) }UliU181' ot obaenationa ( h) ti:'"M .t.ttd cfAt.t ~f a:tghtinas rear and ll1d.e1 ( WAR.'"'INO: Tlti dtxllrrfent ronline inlotlf11tion elteetin~ the netional d/enN o/ lit Unltd Stt if!-tin '" nift' ol Ill F.Jp:on L Tit/. If. c., s ~ . s.ctiont 7fJ ~nd 7U. ,,. ranuniuiotf Of ,,.. , .,.,.,.Oft o/ ill contr.t in""' menftr to.,. un~utltoti-1 ,.,. .,,. I pto~ibltd by I It mey not b rprodueed irt wltol or ,, prl, b." otlt"' rl':a" ~niter/:;,., Air l'orc.e itO IUCUJSJMU 0 9UQto.4'"'9'P .~ Y ~--USSQQ----. SUPPlEMENT TO AF FORM 112 OPIGINATI!ItG AOrNCY IUPOf'T NO Hq, l608th .AN (M) .Lett to retum to Cba~.Laton betor M round out it t.tw rport vaa tl.A- tactot'.U.7 coap.&.et.d., In tiettr ot t~ u:oepttoMJ.. good 1ghUAJ ~nd n~r ot peraGDI obee t.bi1 object, be tel t be nhou.Ld report it ). Mr'. vu tbe on.1.7 one I contacted ,.. hie b~tbl'r VU not aYei l.b..L.e a s,abject hU beeD OD ~ctJ:n duty U aD o.f'ti~r :f..n USAF tor tAJ.7 tea years, f.L7Ulg both jei and JIIUlt.i aircraft am appear to b. cop.LetAly rell~l o ln Tin ot the tact that action .oet probabl:r bn tAwn and d1W.oce in?OJ. 'ftd~ no attarpi bMil JIAde to inTeaU.gat.a or ,;\,nl1~ thia Nporto T/Sgt, SR NCOIC, IntAllig-nce Section OtiCLAIIDIDD SUPPLEMEHT TO AF FORM 112 ottfOfNATHtO AOINCY lt[POftT NO. ~ 16o8th Air fru.,ort Viae (M) SUPPLEMENT TO AF FORM 112 DIRECTION OF OBJECT WHEt4 DISAPPEAR!O .. rr. Ill Sl!flriAL NO. OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE DATE 011' flrEPO"T DAfE 011' l!lltii'O"MATION Intelligence 80UIICK ~ 135G. I!VAL,UATION REQUEST NO. ~ ! tQ . . Various JAr . a.. ~ % > Ill 8fUilP' f f'OR lltllfiO .. ft 0,. MOlt. ftt"N ON. ~A I:"TCtt Ca"""L SUMMARY J THI~ lR \,;QNCERNS ~CRIPIIVE IL~.TA Rm .RDDiG UFQ SIGHTED IN SOUTH FA.iTEl~ iaR.Eii ON l2 OCT ~ (1) Copy of DI0-6ND Speedletter ser 01899 3 2r...6a object 12 Oct 57, l-lartha 's Vineyard Sighting o; unidentified ~ ~ ~ ~ 1. Fnclosu.re (l) was received by this oi'f"ice on 16 October 1957. ~ ~ ~ ~ promptly disseminated to local A1r F'orce OOI represen tati vea. It's contents were In an attempt to conf1IIla the report or ~BJECT sighting, Mr' ~ ft ,. Ill. 1_.-Clll w ~ ods Holo UcPtLilographic Institute, \tbods Hole, 1-Bsa., and owner of' the _ vessel noted in encloauro ( l) was interviewed. ave the following acc:ount of ~UBJE~'I sighting: He, to~ether Mit.h .f (noted enclosure (1)) \Jere fishing in a vessel loccted about tw miles nn of ltlrtbas Vineyard ut about 1525 locttl on 12 October 1957, when a strange objnct, uphericnl or oval in shape with maall protruding antenn~ was observed, se~ingly' d1 vlng directly ~words the vessel. The object leveled off and headed in a southwesterl,y direction, directl,7 iu.+<J. :tilC . . wiQsl, et a ~re~dous. rate qt SJ? . He ~1nd other3 in the vessel had opp.:>rtunlty to vie,., this object through binoculars as it 'Was in vic\.Z f"or approximately .. ~wo !!" The object, so vle\o~ed, appeal"':!d to have t.'-l.e shape end surface cont~ur of n Jnllk-pod, translucent in color, end about three feet in length {he noted that th.l:i f'igure could verr easily be cartpletely wrong since he had no idea of the distnnce of the object from t.he vessel). 1he object was emitting no vapor t.t'l:t-~ J advised that he is a former Air F'orce Mljor, who \las at one time a m~..mber of ~ ~ 5 ~ General !-BcArthur s atarr, GHQ, ~uthwest r'acific; that (the source of '-= ~ ~ ! THIS lt!POWY CONTAINS UNa-ltOCEISID INFOit.ATJOH. PLANI AMD/Oa POLICIES SIIOULD HOT 1 EVOLVIO Olt MODIFIED IOLILY ON TMC .ASIS OF THIS ltiPOitT. t.i DISTRIBUTION v OIIIGINATOit DISTRIIIUTION BY ONI NFORMATfOH REPORT I PRo.., !Astrlct Intelligence ~EPORl NO. tJA' I ' Of.-icer, lND inform;:. ~ion in enclosure (1)} is a fornl'1r jet pilot with consider6.4tJlc exparience in ident.i.fying strunge objects, and who et one time hud been st:.;tioned at the rent~gon with the \'tar Pl!:Lnr-~ng Dlvisioni tmd -that two others in the group had been trained "observ~r~ ' in the armed services. VErT.:1-t !"urth~r advised tri~t. Pe nnd his COI!lpani"ons felt that this ot,1~c-t ~u;: defi!1i +_.cd.Y c:1 ~ontrollec.: vehicle. st.uted thut he hud mt de report of this sigh1J.ng to authorities at Otis Air ~orce Base, Faloutb, ltlss. ut a:>OO on 12 October 1957. 1.,. t-1r. George D. 1-IA"(, chie Techni~al Infoxnu.tJ.on and Intelligence Oi'i'ice, _.~bfidge Research Center, Hans'com Field, Bedford ltlss., stated that although reports .F' .o. s sighted in the l~ew lgland area should be directed to his office, no such report wa~1 recf.:.i v~d .from Oti .rdr F'orce Base concerning ~UBJECT sighting, nor were any such reports reoc.i. .~ :: . . . . ceming similar sightings on 12 October 1957 5. Records of the Operations 01'fice, NAS., ~onset Point, H..I. reflect that no aircr&ft from that station vere in the llu'thas Vineyerd area at the tine of SUBJE~T sighting 6. Reco'l."'da of the Operations Office, NAS, South Weymouth, Miss. rt'flect thnt between the hours of 1500 -1700 (local time) 12 October 1957 approxime..tely 34 plWlf.HJ, piloted by Reser-Jist.s were in operation; approximately 20 of' these aircraft, \lere jets. 'lhe Opcrutions officer advised that no record of the areas in Which these plane~ had operated were kept, and.thnt since no restriction are placed on the areas in \lhicb these plenes msa operate any o1' th~no craft might have been in the 1-Brthas Vineyard area at the time of SUBJECT sighting. He advi serl that maximum height at lo-niah any of these pl&nes would have oper::.ted is 25 000 feet. Ho further indicated that none of these planes would have been involved in any special operut.lona such as air-to-eir gunnery exercises, and that no llghter-than-oir craft bused at thc.t at .. tJon .lMre in 'Ule air on 12 October 7. hr. John c. WNBdR, engineering pilot, Massachuse-tts Institute of 'l'tJchnology Instrumentation laboratory, Flight .tacillt.Y, Concord, Kiss., advised that a d1 ve-bomuing test conducted by that facility was underway at the time of SUBJEC'l' sighting in en areu approxiruc:.tc]J 35 miles to tbe nor~ea.st of s Vineyard . WtUJAR stated ttult he, himself, piloted the :r,-94 involved in this test, but. indicated that on no occasion had he come closer to ~rthas Vineyard 'Ulan to pass twenty miles to the north or it. He noted that the speed or his F-94 would approach 500 mph during a dive,' and that each dive would last from 10 to 15 seconds. He further noted that since the plane used in the test was silver in color 1 t could veey easily have been reflecting aunll.ght to any observer to the west at that tJme of <ilv' 8. Records of the Aerolog Office, NAS, South Weymouth, 1-Bss. reflect the ~ollowing surface weather conditions for 12 October 1957& skies clear, visibiliey 15 miles or greater all day; surface winds or lO kts. from west northwest, with maxlDnlfD gusts or 28 kts.;. temperature - minimum 37 degrees, maximum 59 degrees, average 47.6 degrees; relative btDDidity at 1300 51 per cent, nt 1900 38 per cent. Records further reflect clec.r skies at 3:> 000 ft. w1 th average 35 kt. winds from 310 degrees1 temperature -2 degrees, Good flying conditions prevailed throughout the entire 24 hour period. ~ Request b7 u. s. Bav7 tor "Blitz" Evaluation 1. General' The Air Technical I elli gence Center ia 1n receipt ot three otficial reports on a ubj eo c1dent. This would normally provide autficleuE data tor 1dent1t1cat1on or valid conclusions. Refs Flash Report TT Mag. WOIR-5281, dtd 13 Oct 57 (uncl), USAF AIIR Report from 1608tb ATW, Charleston AFB, s. c. (Uncl) and UN! Report No. 4~-57 dtd However, a comparative anal7sia of basic data reveals certain 1ncon- a1atenc1ea and diacrepanciea the three reports, which present some d1tt1cult1ea to analJaea. Incona1atenc1ea and Disc anciear a. ven a a OJ r 7 AIIR Report; spherical or. oval b7 repar spherical in TT Mag. b. Description ot Protrudenceat uNI reports 11 antennae. TT Msgt pronsa AIRRs trihedral in shape. Course of Objects ONI Report: heading SW AIIRs SE (trom 15 degr.es to 35 degrees from headirg or vessal TT. Magt hovered for 90 seconds. disappeared Wind Directional O~li Report: front W -llW 'M' Magt from W -NW (10-15 000 rt alt) AIIIRr not given in basic data ~. Data in Asre I ntt a. Tlili of a htln t All~ a.pro.xmately 1535 local time. o,,..e '~'" b. s o a a All Observers used binoculars. (~resuming at least 7 power, e -~ct und.bubtedl,-appeared substantially larger than its actual size~. c. Maneuverat The~ were described variousl7 as stationa~, hovering reversing dlrectlons, d~..icending, diving on observer's boa.t, etc. d. Va or exhaust et trail emitted: all reports: none observed- through any euvera escr 4. FactSal Data in Suplort of Final Conclusiont a.un was falrlyOfi tarar<r horizon at thit t1me and west ot the object. Weather cord.1t1mss clear, br1ghtf no clouds, unll.mited v1a1b111~ b. The aggregate ot maneuvers given in all reports ia cha'racteristic ot balloons. c. The fact that no vapor, exhauat, or trail was emitted rules out propulsive devices (aircraft and missiles),alao strongly suggestive of a d. Analy31s ot similar type of UF~heeports over a period or more than ! ten ,ears bas sh that reflection of a setting sun's slant rays oft a i man~-aurtaced or spherical object (specular reflecti ona) often produce ! unusual <r odd appearances to otherwise conventional objects. (photographic! examples of a balloon with one design of radar reflector, under varying I conditions or light, as well as a simple expls.natory sketch, is attached) l e. A cheek diseloses tm t the wi r...d.s were gene.rall'"' :from the North,"~at at that tiu:8 ani place{ ~ of ;:tarT.."la '3 Vlna~rd, Ma3~ A .further check ' with weatllar un:Jt locations and faclli ties lauDDh1ng balloons irxlieate a I er were located Kort:1weat ot the area that the object was sighted. I Small localized areas or apote having wind eddies, awirla,or temp- j tr:~;i -ii~& o l a.otten give* an impression ot a free-floating UNCLA3SifjED' INFORMATION REPORT lltEP'OIItT NO. DAT& FlltON Dlatrict Intelligence Ofrlcer, lHD 14 HoveBber 1957 ~ 1 'lhi.s revort ia forwarded as a .possible al<l in evalua.-r.ing SUBJEt.iT as orlgl.nal.ll' reported in enclosure (1) Considering tbe bac.tgrounda or ONUFm and VPZTitt, 1 t appears that. tbt s sigh aq be aore relS ab}7 reported than JD1ght at r1rst be de-.cl. Furthennore, 1 t ia not-ed tnat tld.a reported sight1ng appears to cont,a1n cert.-.1n deud ls not, altogether inconsistent w1 tb the reports 01 aore recent onct hlgbq pub.11c1zed sigbttngs in. , New Mexico and other areaa. DI0-6ND has been requt)sted to reinterview Michael R. ONUFElt in order to obtt.in a sketch at the object sighted to be forwarded direct to ONI.