PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS 0 Ground Visual S. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE 0 Ground-Rodar 0 A i r-lnt e rcetp t Rodnr 1. LENGTH OF.OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS 9. COURSE 0 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING ATIC FORM 329 ( REV 16 SEP 52) 11. COMMENTS Wo!. Balloon Probably Balloon Possibly Boll oon Was Aircraft P rob aLly Ai rcroft Possibly Aircraft Was Astronomical Probably Astronomieol Possibly Astronomical In suffi c:i ent Ooto for Unkno 'M'I Evaluation HEADQUARTERS EUROPEAN NORTHERN DISPOSITION TASK FORCE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE APO 124, New York, N .. Y. 4 Dec~.;mbcr 1958 SUBJECT: Sighting of Unknown Object TO: Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence Headquarters, USAF In .accorclance with Para 14 b (2) AFR 200-2 dated 5 Fe bru- ar y, the follovdng letter is trans tnitted. FOR THE CO:N1MANDER: \ VILLIAM R . HUMPHREX . y"'f- Ltr fm 53rd \Vea Rccon Sq, APO 124, Captainl USAF - Chief, Administrative Services 53D \fEATHER RECOliNAISSAliCS SttUADRON (HK.rS) Unit.ed States Air Force AFO 121~, New York , Ne'.r Yor k 2 December 1953 SUBJECT: Sighting of Unl-'".no\oll1 Ob;ject TO: tlhom It tIay Concern 1. Statement of Cs sightin g of what is believed in a c cordance \lith AFR 2 00-2. d. Age: 33 years concerning the sa t:)llite, 211-November 1958, e. Occupation: Senior pilot, 3100 hour~ in va ried aircraft. Has flmm extensively over 'tTOrld alr routes and over major oceans as aircraft comme.nder in MATS. Presently assigned a s a.ircrnft commander in \leather reconnaissance flights based at 5.3d HRS, BurtontTood RAF Sta ':.ion , England. P~a observed Sputnik I in early-stag~ of exist8.nce ov~!" England. f. Educ~tio:-1: Ove r three years college credits. g. Description of object: Shape of a star of medium intensity. Size of a medium star, or t he head of a pin. Color of a star. 4 One in number. No formation. 2 It wn.s observed to gain in brightness for approxim.atel.Y 15 s econds , then f a de f or approximately 15 seconds . 1 No tail, trail or exhaust . 8 No sound. No ot her unusual fe~tures. h . Descriptio n and co urne o f objec t . 1 Co-pil o t sau what he t h ought, at fir s t t o be n f~lli1,e meteorit e , t hAn realize d the object \la:> in vleu l on ger t han lib\) nor1aa l burn out time . He called thin t o tl: a atten tion of the a j rcraft co mmander, t ha na vigat or o.nd t he wcothar ob::;erver (,.;ho also observe d prov i ous earth satellit.e ) . 2 Angl e o f e l c vntion Has observed by the na vigator t o 20 at a n azimuth of 280 1JROM Nortll tl'acki ng t o 120 1-1hen it fir~1t a ppeared. .1 Angl e of el evati on was 20 at an azimuth o f 1 20 when i t diEappear ed . !z The object rose from our r i ght quartering r es.r and mad e a n arc acr oss om f l i ght p a t h ..rith a. mo.Y..irnum ele va t i on of 35. I t disappeared t o the l ef t of our nose. ~ The aircraft commander checked his wa tch a t 1725Z wh en he firs t sighted t he o b ject and 1729Z when it conpl e t ely disappeared . i . Manner of observati on . Air to alr s i ght,. No optical aid s . J Aircraft in which ob serv er::; wer e flying was HB- 50 TH 1600, 270 kts , f roM Burtonwood RAF Sta-tion En gl a n d . j . Time and date of sightin g . 3 Locati on o f observer s , 67 l 0 N l atitude, 12 15'H longitude. Thi s i s approximatelY 90 miles northeas t o f Icel a nd . k . ~leather and 't-ri nds aloft condition a t time and p le.c o of .! Scat tered dec k of s 'Lra ta cumulus at 5, 000 t , clen r over ho:tcl. ,g vlind direction 27 0 0 , velocity It-O knots at 30~000'. 3 Sh-y clea.r . !z Vi3lbilit y 100 rnil.~s. No cloud c over . 6 Uo t hundcr stnrm activity . 1 . No reported or kno~rn unu~ual activities , meteorolot;ic-:tl o~ astronomical uhich mieht account for tho siehting . m. No interce p t.ion or identification action tak~n. n . No kn(Hffi air traffic ln the area at the t ime o f sighting . o . !{o physical uv idence.