3. DATETIMI! GROUP PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 2 . LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS Between Sterling City and Garden City, Texas o L TYPE OF OBSERVATION Wos Bolloan Proltoltl, Bolleon PoasiW, Boli-n . Local .. 2145 , 8 Grounci-Viauol D GroundRoclor Wo Aircraft C Proltoltl, Aircr.,t GM~/0345Z D AI.-VIol 0 Airlntercept Rodar PosaiW, Alrcrft 0 Y a ProltoW, Aatronolcl Gl No Civilian D PoasiW, Astronolc.a 7. LENGTH O,.OISERYATION I. NUMBER Ofl OBJECTS 9. COURSE Observed 3 times J 1/2 rni.n ea t 1mre 1 0 lnsufficlettt Dot t.r Evlution 0 UnlcnoWR 10. BRIE, SUMMARY 0, SICHTINCQreen and white obJect 11. COMMENTS ObJt of this sighting was size of baseball. No sound heard. Green oval-probably the Planet Venus. Planet was type light with a white light underneath, the low on horizon at t~e of sighting, green light occasionally changing to orange. atmospheric refEaction probably respon- Appeared, aprox 15-20 270 azimuthj disappear~sible for apparent increase and decreasE j ed same position. Appeared fm W and dived to-in elevation. Color changes associated , ith rd ground off to right of observer, then sighting were due to dispersion. On datE climbed and disappeared to w. Observer est1mate~f sighting the planet was very bright, 6000 -8000 :ft on initial :Jighting with descent having magnitude les s than ma.xjzmun mag. to 300-500 ft above ground, then disappearing t about 6ooo-8ooo rt. AT1C FORM 329 (RKV 21 SEP 52) PAGE TWO RJWFDS 2~ (~) GREEN OVAL TYPE LIGHT WITH A WHITE LIGHT UNDERNEATH. THE GREEN LIGHT OCCASIONALLY CHANGING TO ORANG. B DESCRIPTION OF COURSE OF OBJECT. Cl> A SUBDUED LIGHT SHINING OUT OF A CLOUDY OR FOGGY CONDITION WHICH SUDDENLY BECAME A CLEAR, BRIGHT, WHITE LIGHT WITH THE GREEN (2) APPROXIMATELY 15-21 DEGREES, 27i DEGREES AZIMUTH. (3) SAME AS BC2l. (4) APPEARED FROM WEST AND DIVED TOWARD GROUND orr TO RIGHT OF OBSERVER, THEN CLIMBED AND DISAPPEARED TO WEST. OBSERVER ESTIMATED 6000 TO 8 0 FEET ON INITIAL SIGHTING or OBJECT WITH THE DESCENT TO ~QJ TO 5fi FEET ABOVE GROUND, THEN DISAPPEARING AT ABOUT 600i TO 80iri FEET. (5) INTO THE CLOUDS TO THE WEST. C6) SIGHTED THREE (3) TIMES FOR APPROXIMATF.LY ONE AND ONE HALF C1 1/2) MINUTES EACH TIME OVER A FIFTEEN <15> MINUTF. PERIOD c. MANNER OB OBSERVATION. <1> GROUND -VISUAL. ?AGE rHREE RJ WFDS 29 D. TIME AND DATE OF SIGHTING. STERLING CITY, TEXAS AND GARDEN CITY, TEXAS, SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF WEBB AFB APPROXIMATELY TWENTY SEVEN C27> MILES. F. OBSERVERS MIDLAND, TEXAS, AUTO PARTS SALESMAN; RELIABILITY FAIR. C2) MRS NOT CONTACTED. CJ) MR. & MRS. AGE APPROXIMATELY 65 STPHNSVILLE, TEXAS; RELIABILITY GOOD. G. WEATHER AND WINDS C1> CLEAR IN AREA WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS TO WEST. C2> u.s. WEATHER BUREAU, MIDLAND AIR TERMINAL: WINDS SURFACE SOUTH AT 9K 111 FEET 261 DEGREES AT 30K 888 FEET 278 DEGREES AT 2~K 88~ FEET 25~ DEGREES AT J~K 8ii FEET 260 DEG~EESAT 45K PAGE FOUR RJWFDS 29 3~, FEET 25~ DEGREES AT 5~K C3) CEILING HIGH, THIN, BROKEN (4) VISIBil.ITY FIFTEEN (15) MILES (5) CLOUD COVER HIGH, THIN, BROKEN C7l SLIGHT TEMPERATURE INVERSION POSSIBLE AT 2i0 TO 310 FEET AT TIME OF SIGHTING. H. EXTREMELY BRIGH.T PLANET CVENUS> WAS VISIBLE AT TIME OF REPORT. J NO KNOWLEDGE> THROUGH CONTROL AGENCIES OF THAFF IC OR BALLOON RELE~SES; HOWEVER, THERE ARE NUMEROUS UNSCHEDULED, UNCONTROLLED LIGHT PLANES KNOWN TO OPERATE IN THE AREA UNDER VFR CONDITIONS. K THIS REPORT WAS PREPARED BY MAJOR JACK H. CRAWFORD, A0664142, PILOT TRAINING GROUP, WEBB AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS. MR. , WHO MADE THE INITIAL REPORT, AND MR. & MRS FATHER-IN-LAW AND MOTHER-IN-LAW OF MR. WERE QUESTIONED REGARDING WHAT THEY SAW. ALL FOUR C4) PERSONS WHO SAW THE LIGHT WERE Rl~ING IN THE SAME CAR THE SPEED OF THE CAR WAS NEVER BELow 35 TO 41 M.P.H. AND MR. DOWN. HOWEVER, MR. & MRS TATED THEY ROLLED A WINDOW TATED A WINDOW WAS NEVER PAGE FIVE RJWFDS 29 LOwERED. THE ROAD ON WHICH THEY WERE DRIVING WAS ORIENTED GENERALLY EAST TO WEST; HOWEVER, THERE WERE TURNS AND DIPS IN THE ROAD MR. DESCRIPTION OF WHAT WAS SEEN WAS FAR MORE IMAGINATIVE AND COLORFUL THAN THE OLDER COUPLES DESCRIPTION. STATEMENTS MADE BY MR. AS FACTUAL WERE FOUND TO BE CONTRADICTORY AND IN ONE CASE FALSE. A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION WAS MADE INCLUDING THE MIDLAND u.s. WEATHER BUREAU, THE MIDLAND FLIGHT SERVICE STATION, EL PASO FLIGHT SERVICE CENTFR, THE 683RD AC&W SQUADRON, WEBB AFB, DYESS AFB, HOWARD COUNTY AIRPORT, BIG SPRI~I~ TEXAS AND MIDLAND AI R TERMI NAL. FLIG}iT PLA~IS, UNUSUAL RADAR PLOTS AND ANY UNUSUAL AIR ACTIVITY WAS CHECKED WITH THE ABOVE AGENCIES. THE ONLY ITEM THAT MIGHT APPEAR A POSSIBLE SOLUTION WOULD BE THE NUMEROUS CIVILIAN TYPE AIRCRAFT WHICH FLY F~IGHT PLANS. THE MOST PROBABLE SOLUTION TO THIS SIGHTING WOULD BE THE PLANET VENUS WHICH HAS BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY BRILLIANT. THE MOVEMENT OF THE AUTOMOBILE COULD ACCOUNT FOR THE APPARENT MOVEMENT OF THE LIGHT AND TH THIN CLOUD LAYER COULD ACCOUNT FOR THE APPEARANCE AND DISAPPEARANCE Of THE LIGHT. 1S/2243Z FEB &JWFDS