PAB AM&JtiCAI ,WCBID . D\WAYS PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS -~ A.-1 I D Woa BolloOft C a.r.t7 ADC81l8 Oil 8 0 Prolaalalr Balloon W r Balloon 2334 D Woa Aircraft Locel , m 0Nun4-VIauol GrountiRCHI D Prolaalalr Aircraft 25/0034Z J) AI,.Yhuol 0 Air-Intercept RCHIOf PoasiWr Aircraft 0 ProlaaWy Astronomical 0 Poaailaly Aatronomlcol 7. LINOTH OP OIIIRVATIOM L NUMI!II Ofl OIJ!CTI 9. COURSE 0 lnaufficlent Date for Eveluotioft IX Unknown 10. IRIIP 0, IIGMTIMO I 1. COMMENTS surface f'lare 1D 1aled1ate llo pos1t1Ye conclusion ins the v1c1a1:t7 at operat101l duriDI Teat identity ot this object can be reached 18o2. llitDeasea at sea 1 l at :t1rst thoupt with the available data. The object was this to be a/c Crew ot ooe a flare ot some type; source, or origin, thouaht other dropped it. Question-remains t~nidentif'ied. 1ug ot both c crews later cont:lrmed that nei her a/c dropped obJect at &'V time durins - A'I'IC PORM 121 (1t8Y 2 aaP II) The attached n~de interesti11g re~di11g. In swer to your auestio~s the followi~g is sub:dtteda Soa State 04 -defines a MOderately rough sea;~eo:1. ma;rull height o waves 4 to 8 feet. rough ::.1ea ; ~acan ):lnzirru::l hoi~ht of \-Ta.vc~ 8 to 13 f'cet. fhC cloud COVt:ll" L~'ld hnze Opc r ntio:~s S-GGtio;1 Poir.t for -tf~iskay o:t.... cvc;:1t. Ltr Hq AFMlssile Test Center (MTGRY), 2? Jul 60, Rpt of UnidPntified 2nd Ind (AFCIN-2) T01 AFCIN-4 Forwarded for your information. HEADQUA~TE~S AIR FORCE MISSILE TEST CENTER AIR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COMMAND UNITED STATES AI~ "O~CE ftAT .. ICK AI .. ,o .. ca 8A8K, f'&.O .. IOA uJacT' Report of Unidentified Surface Sighting TOt Hq AROO (Iql!I) Wash 25 lXl . . 1. The: . f'ile on .a sighting in tbe Ascension IsJand recoveey are& is for 70ur information. Because the report was not received 1n this Branch until 27 J~ 1.960 no :rurtber action coul.d be taken to identif)' tbe source of the 11glxt. Corxective have- been taJren to insure reporting of :t\tture incidents. 2. A copy of this file has been turned over to the Naval Ordnance Test Unit here for onward transmission through their channels OSCAR C .. .DnJ~. Captain, USAF Chief I Technical Information and Intel 1 i gence Branch 1st Ind (RDYIC) Hq ARDC, Andrews AFB, Wash 25 DC TO: Hq USAF (AFCIN), Wash 25 DC For your information. FOR THE COMMANDER L.\'U~E?TCZ C. SHJ;RMAN Colonel, USAF Director of Intelligence Support DCS/Intelligence 6 September 1960 Ltr, Pan American World Airways, Inc, 26 Jul 60, Unidentified Surface Flare Li~ht Sighted During Test 1802 Recovery w/4 Atch Ai~ Fo~ce Mlaaile Tet C Patrick Aizt Force Flol'ida .Affair Office SUBJJ:C~ UNIDENTIFIED SURI'ACE FLARE LlCiHT SIGHTED DUlUNO TEST 1802 RECOVERY A brlJ)at aarface waa ~e!-Yed ln the im11aediate vlciaity of the r operatlOD durinl Tellt 1802. zshl pereiteclfor y 10 cond.. pe~aODDel at flrt thoqht thia llpt to be aircraft choppecl to the recovery area ancl ccm y made ao effort to photosraph thl light. By the time tke Ship Operatlona ger confirtned the that ncnw of tba aircraft droppecla flare, it waa too late to to pllotoaraph it .. Pel'.....-1 eDIa Ia opes-atioD weze UDable te l .. atlfy tJae llaht or lt eovce. StatezneDta -. C2'l ..... what "'u 8HD by eye witDe .. ~ herewith attachacl fOI" ~ farther . woax.n An'lWAYs. me. Operation DATE 1 28 JUDe 1960 T RBPOR'la FLARI t.IGBT SIGHTBD DURING DATA CASSITTB RICOVKRI, T&S! 1802 Durin~ .atual data oaee on Test 1802 a bxight light ... stationed the A/C State.enta b7 obeexvers who sighted the .. nare i~ht The undersigned waa aboard ORV WHISirt! aa obaexsver and advisor for Test 1802. The ! statement is submitted concerning my observations from the small boat at the of sighting. "Missile : occured at approximately 2.5/00J4Z. The data cassette blinking . light vas first sighted trom CRV 'WHISKS! at approximately 25/0llSZ at a range , or 4 NM 192 deg. true OSP. The vessel nPI" toward the light. The aircraft reported sighting the strobe light short17 attar and orbiting the datA cassette awaiting the arrival or the "At Ol45Z ORV approached to withill 1 NM of the blinking light. The vessel waa stopped, and the small recovery boat, was launched with 1 the recovcr,y , RCA photographer, tes~ obaer.er. "The boat proceeded sl~ in state o4 toward the blinking light. The light vas not observed tl7 troa the boat bee of wave action and distance trora Data Caaaette. The light appeared as a blinld.ng . glow. vq toward the Data Cassette the boat Mmbers and observed a bright appearing 100 :yards front the dir~tion of th.e data caasette. As the Sliall boat c~g_sed to ~in 3 ... 00 to .500_rards ot cassette (now within Hne ot sight) the n~ ~t di ii q. The light w_,as white or yellowish and to rad1 a a c~le rather than a directional pattern. Its glow vas or constant in ty during entire observed duration. ''I'he small boat a'P!'roached the data cassette, and retrisval ~.,as conwleted by 25/0218%. ,\ 507..\R event was coord:L"l&ted .dth Station 12 at point of pickup. "The SOH aboard WHISKE! was below deck maintai.ni.ng communications at ihe time of data cassette pickup. "It has been established by written statements received from the A/C Commander ~nd vess.U personnel, that the aircrU't did not -rslaase a flare, and th(j:. the s origin. '.'laS from other than tAst nartici-oant3. Reco~sr.r Specialist, Operation 1_,1 Ascenlon Ialand In answer to yollr letter of 28 June 1960 regarding aa unidentified flare of light obaerved durin& Tet 180Z. l would like to state brief- ly what I aaw wbUe aphiDs the recOYel'y '\;,rhile I wa setting up for picture of the small boat lowering, I saw thia flare of light which to me looked like a .flare had been dropp~d frotn an Aircraft. This light '\vaa stronger than the blue-white in- termittant fla.ab of th 3trobe on the cassette. It was warmer and yellowish in color. It was back of the cassette and about 25 degrees off the starboard bow aa '11tt Ppproached.. The cassette at this time waa clearly visible about 14 degree off the Starboard Deam but seemed in the aame line or dla e from the ehop. I was \Vi th the firat !.'late ol the Ship at the timo and I mentioned it to b.lm and said that the A/C flare was dying out. that the cassette light was still visible for the recovery. I thought notbin1 more of this, aa 1 expf,tctad thia \vas routine for re- covery, and went ahead and shot pix of the recovery. Sm.nll diagram of position I sighted the fi.are---------- Sincerely yours, I w copilot of SUver One O.yins at 3500' r~-tsL. Silvey Two wa at ~ooo 1SL and reported viaual contact with tle c:saaette. '\1/eather wa overcaat with aea atate of os~-The pUo' and I could su,.., Two' ruxui!DI and proceeded to poaition ou A/C above btna aa.lla Ol"'bl& caaaette. At thla time (approx T~ 60) a brlllat llpt appeancl. On an zocaat ftlght over the oceaa ia a ~rn- inl A/C it ia practically impoaaible to eatimate altitude I con- cluded. that the light wa not farther than ~00 yJ!rcU from the caeaett~ a.t1<l either ou the auri or very neal' the aurface. No wavea appeared to br over the light; thel'efore the light mut have been a few feet above water surface. rrhe light intensity was approximately the same as that of a parachute flare but did not appear to be etnitting smoke The light b\lrned for appro.x.bnat.ely 10 seconds. 1 inunediately called the other A/C to dter!Tline whether he bad dropped any fiarea. A negative reply was received. Questioning of both A/:: crews later conflru1ed that neither A/Chad dropped any object at any tbne d'1ring