J, DATE-TIME GROUP Local 2)~00 7. LENGTH 0~ OBSERVATION 10. BRIEfl SUWolARY OF SIGHTING PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 2. LOCATION CONCLUSIONS Was Balloon Probab l y Balloon Possibly Balloon 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Wos Aircraft P robob l y Ai r croh Possibly Ai rcroft ~(;round-Visual 0 Cro u nd-Rodor 0 A if" Visual 0 Air- Intercept Rod or Wos Astronomi c ol Probably Astronomical Possibly Astronomical 8. HUMBER OF OBJECTS 9. COURSE Other r'Y' v In suffi c ient Dot a for Evaluation 11. COMMENTS l'th S.;c~t ATIC PORM 329 (R&V 26 SIEP $1) ~P~ 1romo ey Investigation 'in the nci:;ilborhood a t point o: impact or vicinity of e~:::>losion the follO'rirg infor.r.a tion -v:as Circular ir.!,?rcssion in .:;roand appro;:i.rra tely 12 burnt area, could be point of impact located in Frick Park 200 -250 yds from L:eech~rood road. No other indications of any point of contra.:t in this vicinity. Check of neighborhood tenants v erified CA.J>losion oc~ured approximately 2L~oo ha..trs 14 Sept 1959. s/!::tjor Jo!ln H. Hatten FRICK Pfl . .RK A.RE.-\ PITTSBURGH, P~iNSYLVAIUA 15 Septembe r 1959 On 15 September 1959 the Pittsburgh police investigated a reporte d explosion in the Frick Park area of the city. The explosion was reported to h ave occurred at 2400 on ll+ September 1959. During the investigation the police discovered an unidentified object in the area of the reported explosion . The object was conically shaped, and the body was of polyethylene plastic, yellow in color. TPxee wires appearing like a n antenna protruded from the top just belmv a red light. Attached to the side was a "U" bolt vrith two feet of 1/4" cable attached to it with 1/2" bolts. The weight of the object was t potmds . The object was bu.-ned around the edge of the base. During inspection of the object attempts were made to open it without destroy- int it, but this p roved impossible. Under the plastic coat, which averaged 1/2" in thickness, was a thin sheet of alnmi num with the same general contours. , Con- tained in the aluminum were the follo',.ring items , all embedded i n a glue-like substo.n c e which 'tvas u:::;ed to fill the interior : Hilco Huntlitc lantern battery contain e r vrith S\vit:::h . b . Steel p :lpe (thrcad.ed both ends ) 2 l/2" long and 1 3/'+" diamete r . ight Ray-0 -Vo.c; .flashlight b atteries (four in the battery container). Two mercury s~>rltches. e . Tiny atom 1/2000 horsepower electric motor (Wilson' s of Cleveland). 'l'ransformer (Federal Tele:Phone and Radio Corporation, Boonton, N. J . ) . The batteries, mercury S\it.chesJ electric r.totor, v.n d light bulb were all howe v er, the electric motor ~,,as not connecte<l mechanically t o anything. antel'U1.?.. and transformer were not a part of the circuit. Hilso:1':::; o t' Cleveland, rnanul'a:::turers of the tiny atom electric mctor whe n con- tacted concerning the motor indicated. that their chie f outlets J ere hobby shops . In view of the relatively great weight, inaccessability, overall lack of any productlve function, and crudness this object is ruled out a s a device designed to collect atmospheric data. All evidence indicates that this object was not airborne a t any time. An object 'tveighing twelve pounds >wuld, upon fo.lllng to earth from any appreciable altitude, ~ave left ~n impression i n the ~l"CQid whic h ould hav e beP.n noticed ~uring Lives- t.:.::;J.~ l.'-:1 . l'""..!~her i~::tL:o.tlon \;::.:->.:t t:1c ooject had not i'c.llc:J. ;;as t:'le f:lc': tl:at the light bulb and rragiJe plastic c over were found intact. It is the Air Force con:::lu s i o n tl~t this obj~ct and the explosion were all part of a hoax. The red light, flashed by nercu_ry S#itches , and the whirring of the little electric motor were <lesigned to create furthe r l':l.ystery for the finder. Sine: thi'> incident hP..ppened o:t: the begi::mi:Jg of the school term, thi.:; .ns :Pro- AIR TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER UNITED STATES AIR FORCE WRIGHTP ATT ERSON AIR rORCE BASE .;upJc r : UFO, Frick Park .Area, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15 September 1959 Til: SA.FIS- 3 d (1-Iajor Tacker) 1 . On 15 September 1959, the Pittsburgh police investigated a reported explosion in the Frick Park area of the city. rne explosion was reported to have occurred at 2400 on 14 September 1959. During the investigation the police discovered an unidentified object in the area of the reported explosion . The object had a conical shape. 'vtas made of p lastic , and had a red flashing light and three antenna like extensions at the top (Attach- /l). 'rhe Pittsburgh police surrendered the object to the 18th AA Group, U. s . Army, s tationeJ at South Park r.lilitary Reservation. I-1ajor imtten . Intelligence Offic~r of the 18th J~ Group, conducted a p r eliminary i nvestigatio n . A t\.,el va inch d i ameter burnt area. located in Frick Park. was speculated as the point of i mpact of the object (Attachnent #2). The Aero s pace Technica l Intellie;ence Center was notified of this UFO report by the Ju Couurand Post at 0300 on 15 Septembe r 1959. The .J\.;lC Command Pos t roc._tived the message from A.FCIN Indications Center. \'/ashin&ton , D. C.:. 3 In complit:!!lce wi.th a telep!1.0ne request from A'riC, Capt ain Trombley, Commanding OI'ficer ot' the 2253d Support 3quadron, 2253d Air Base Group at toe CJr{".ater Pittt~burgh Airport, conducted further investigation and fon~erddd the object w lth his report to ATIC. Captain Trombley pointed out in his report thJ.t; the object was grobablY a Rawinsonde, a balloon carried device used by t h e weather service to determine meteorological data (httachment; #3) . 4 . The object neast..tred nine inches in diameter at the base and eleven inches in heie,b.t. The body was of polyethyl ene p lastic, yello:.-1 in color. Three ~tri te~ appearing like antenna protruded from the top just below a ed licht . Attached t o the side was a nua bolt ,.,ith two feet of t inch steel cable attached t o it with i inch bolts. The weight of the object was twelve pounds. Around the edses of the b e.se the object '"'as burned. _). Attemnts 'vtere f!l..s.de to open the object \.fi thout destroying it, but ::1:....; .z-o-.r~ct jnposaiol~. J!Y!~r t~'1e ot;.';:!r ~o~l; :>l' plas-;ic. tilic.:l "l73r~6ed ]-inch in thickness, i1as a thin s!leet of alundnum with the same general con t ours . Contained in the aluminum r~ere the follo,.,ing items, a 11 e::tbedded in a glue like subs tanc e 'IThich \/...ts used to fill the entire a . ailco Huntlite lantern battery container with switch. b . Steel p ipe (threaded both ends) 2t inches long, 1 3/4 inches dirur.eter. c . Eight Ray-0- Vac flashlight batteries (four in the battery con- tainer). Batteries outsid e of the container were cov ered with electrica l Two mercury switches. iny atom. zBoo horsepowe r electric motor (\Vilson' s of Cleveland) . f. Transformer (Fede r a l Telephone and Radio Corporation, Boonton. g . Flashl i ght bulb and socket with red plastic cove r . h . Tbree antenna like eA~ensions (approximatel y 5! inches long) . 6 . The batteries. mercury sNi. tches. electric motor . and bul b r,rere all wired; hm.,ev e r , the el~ctric mot or was not c onnected mechanically t o anythiJlB. The anteru~ and transformer were not a p art of the circuit. The onl y electric I' U!1Cti o n of this i tern is the operation o f the fleshing red light, and r w mlnb the little electric mot or . 7. Wilson' s of Cl~ve~nd, manufacturers of the tiny a tom electric motor. was contacted by tdl e phone. I>l'ir. Green .... ald o f tha t company informed liajor Friend that the y do not have a contract to supply the U. S . Government \lith these motors. I t was a lso poi.nted out by rIr. Greenwald that one o f their chit1f outlets for these motors a r e hobby shops. 8 . In vi e\-r of the r\Jlati v ely great weieht. absence of any tra nsmitt e r or rretaor ological equipment, and the in~ccessability and overall l a c k o f an obvious productive function , this object is ruled out as a Rawin- sonde or a device used by the government . 9 . ..>.11 evidence i-:1dicates t ha t t h i s obj ect \tas n ot airborne or flying at any time . A:I.l objec t weighing twelve p ounds would, upon falling to earth from any appreciabl e altitude, hsve l eft an impressio n that would have been \~rth special mention in the reports of jor Hatten and Captai n Trooble y . Further indication tha t the objec t had not fallen was the f act that the light bulb and its red plastic cover were f ound intact. 1 0 . It i3 ATIC' s opini-:m that this object and th~ "!"CClosi on ,.,er e all ~-~-: )~, ~ :toa:~. 'i'h:: r.ad li6iJ.;;, :"ll3hc3C bJ .iiercu.ry s'.<litches, we.s put on to h elp attr act attention, whil e the whirring of the little electric motor vras t o create further I113'Stery for the f inder . nappe ning as it did, at the beginning of the school year. this vtas probably the pran k of colle&e students. 11. The Electronic Technology Laboratory aPn the Aerial Reconnaissance Laboratory of './AOO assisted with the evaluation of this object PHILIP G. EVANS Colonel , USAF Deputy for Sciences and Components 1 . Drawing of Obj 2 . Cy Rpt by Naj Hatten 3 Cy Rpt by Capt Trombley 4 Cy Rpt of Explosion 2253J SJPFOJ'i.' SJJ.\.J.UH United States .Air Force Greater Pi ti..sbur~h ~\irpor t;, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania fl.. ?TIJ 0..? : C!iDa ( SJ P !iON) SJB,JEC'i': .!?inding of an AlleJed Unidentified Object, 15 Se!J 59, l"rick Parl: .\rea of Pi ttsbur~h, Pennsylvania TO: Commander Air 'l'echnical InteJ.li zence ~enter :;ri.1ht-Pa.literson Air i~'orce 3ase ihyton, Ohio 1. :.::nclo::>ed as at lia:::h.-.,cnt 1, i s a true co~v o:: ~:1.e re_?ort, t.: Hcport of an E::plosion, ill t ed. 15 Ge)t., 1959, uhich uas !.L1.1c by t.,he r1ttsbu.c;;h L'ity Folice uno found t i1e oi..>ject. ~nclosed as at't;l~lunent, 2 is a stato!':ont to t:1e undersiped by ii:ljor John i . :1.t t,:m, i\rtille::-J, :JSA stJ.tionG<.l at S.)ut~ ~'ar!~ 1 d.li tary .l ; c ~Yll.ion 1rl th t::1e 12th .\..\ Group. "t:ajor .ntten receive~l l. to o'.J,jr;ct anl a CO"JY of the Police report 1'rom the Pi ttsbur ;h Gl t,y Police. 2 . 'l.'hc undersi ;n~.d, upon receiving a call .fro.n S.:;t. Bolieu or' your office, ! roceeded to South P"'.rk, and picked up the object. Upon r0tut'n to the base it im.s su:r;ested thJ.t the o:)J. cc t., v1as oosn.Lb l.v a oo.rt of n. 1:eather b-1.lloon radio tmn::>- !1i tt:.rJr. A call uas r.ude to '\..he ,.reat:1er o.fi'icc at Olmsted j.li:;ht Service ancl the object ua.s des:ribed to t.i-tem. Defore a comple t.r.3 de~ription uas zi ven, the uea ther m:m furnished an .:!~curate des:ription o::' the ooject t o me. Shortly a..L.'t:?r c:!e ) 11o:1e C:!ll ~-~s co: I_Jlcto:l, .,_ t:'u!".sia"lt pilot:. Hho ir.:Ls at .::...1.sc CpJrations, :JJ.H the object a::ld ide:1tified i.t as a .:.:t~fi!l:Junde 'l'r:J.nz:-Ii.tter. f'.ne pilot statc~l :1e he had b:Jen st:1tioned uit:1 c. \roat!1er sauadron at one tine and had seen .i..n:::;trun~ts such as t:ri.s. 3. Upon inves:.i;;:?.tion b::,,.. the Pi ttsb-..tr :;h Folic e and 1Iajor .:a-t(;cn, no endence of an c::ploS:.on or reason :'or an e:~plo3ion A IR TECHNICAL IN T E I_ ..... I f;Et'iC l L L:--1 T tf"' UNITEU STATES AIR F':HKE WRIGHTP~>TTE:R50N AIR FOP.CE: BASe ~FCIW-4X23/Captain 1~:1cill/59117 E:~tro.ct fro:-1 ATIC Duty Office; . .-s :tcport 15 Se;>te.aoer l :'59 AFCIN- 4E4J Following is an extract from ATIC Duty Officers Report dtd 14 - 15 September 59 for your infornation . 0303 -The follo~inJ massa3e ~as rac e ived by tclcp~one fron L/Col P.hodC!s a t lU1C Cor.nnand :!.'ost. He stated that this mesGa" e uas passed t o hi1-:1 fro:~ ~u-...CI'l Indicat i ons Center, :Ias~1i.1gton D. C . by :.1 ~t-.jo-Carso:1. l!es3aJC follo:::;: .'\t OIOJ!., 15 'llp S), n .>1all cone s'.a?cd o0je.-;t '~ith caiJ 1 e a ttachcJ ft!ll in t :t':: :;qu.:..: .:-~1 !li..ll cii.c"-rict o f .:'i.tt ;')ur3:1 C"lllJ i.n .... a s~.:all cxploslo< .. hen it ctruc~< t~te ;,:.round. O" l '':t La cone S~'aJ.) :2d ei_;ht ind .. w across t b c 0otto, t e l :.~;h . .!J in 1tE:iJ~1t .. Lth 3 antcn,1uS surroJndin.; a Lltnkin.., J.l. ,tt. r:t e li.,).t blin~<s ,1hcn t~tc object :3i.ts on base uuL do,;.J nut b '.lj;"n o r blin!< \ IC\I.!U object laid on side. 'ins :, .'110~1 plasti c .:tntenn<lG ::toldcd i.nto plo.st lc. Jotto.J o r 1.>.! o f OJj ..:!ct i.; 3co.:c:1cd a nd i1..:1.s t..;o foot eaGle :<ttacl'l 'r by belt. Obj act 5.s i.n pos.:;ession of Squirrel O)J') -.t\lrr: Co: u:-and Pu8t called and reported rcce'l.pt of follo~Hnz n.:::onaec fror71 l.J?Cll'! I ndicatiO"l.S Cc n t..!:c. .'.LL Force Co :nJand Po:3t tr~lls A~?CU1 1.::1at ~q.1irrcl Hill :::>olice dism1c1tL~d un~dcntified o,jcct Ieportc d earlier and report nothir1g to i d entify i t wlth lJilitcry. Squi=rel ~ill police i ncline d to belie v e incident a hoax. " Did not call Najor -;triend aGain because of short tine r e:::aining befu.:-e dut:, hour:>. !la s!1ould be noti.ficc :10\.'ev..!r as i1c plans to take sone positive action t~is nornin~ Department Bureau of Police Department Third Police District SUBJECT: Report of an Explosion At aoout 12 midnight, Emergency Ambulance 11- A (H. Scanlon & F . Soukup) were cruising in the 6500 block of Beacon St . and heard a very loud explosion coming from the Sq. Hill Area. Upon investigation, the location of the explosion was placed in Frick Park about 100 yards in off, Blvd. a nd 75 yards East of the dirt road leadin to the Park Barn. Object w~s found a t thlD location that resembled the front end of a Por jectiile measuri.ne; 9'' in diar.1eter at the base and 11" hig h . A flashing red li~ht incased in plastic i s mounted on the top of the cone shaped thing . he body is made of I'olyethylene Plastic - Yellow in color. 3 wires appearing like antenna protude from the nose bel01.o1 the red light and a "U" bolt \d th a two foot .\" steel cable i s att ached to the side with tu bolts. ,.,.ejeht of the thl.ng i.s about 12 pounds. object after being held at #11 Police Station and not being identified \ota s turned over to 2d Lt. Richard P . Davis of the 18th Artillery Gr:>up of the Air Defense based at South Park. The Ordinance Department of this outfit is to make an effort to identifY. A. Pischke -D. O. Respectfully, Lieut. FRANCIS J . ~/ALSii 'YrliS I.S A TRUE E1TRAC'r COPY: JOHN H . HA'TEN l'<Iajor Arty \~eight -12 lbs Antenna-like Wires 1----Red Light '6 ,. Cabl e ---Transformer ---Aluminum