PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 1. DATE 2. LOCATION CONCLU510NS Wo~ Balloon., 29 Qctober 1962 California Probably Balloon OATETIME GROUP Possibly Balloon 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Local JD Ground-Visual 0 Ground-Radar 0 Was Ai r craft 0 Probably Ai rcroft 0 Air-Vi suol 0 A i r-Intercept Radar Po ui bl y AI rcroft Was Astronomi col 0 Probably Astronomical 0 Possibly Astronomical 1. LENGTH OF .OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS 9. COURSE 0 Other 0 Insufficient Data for Evaluation BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS Shiny white or aluminum colored Weather balloon released at observed to rapidly Santa Monica at 0900 would position Alta-l.n foothills of range r1.s1.ng to 5,000 ft. This would cause the balloon to rapidly. Case sightigg;, ATlC J>ORM 32Q (REV 711 SEP 52) HEADQUARTERS 28.c8th AIR BASE WING UNITED STATES AIR FORCE HORTOH AIR FORCE BASE, CALl FORNI A 1 November 1962 sueJcT Unidentified Flying Objects Report Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio The following Unidentified Flying Objects Report is submitted in accordance with AFR 200-2. The attached UFO worksheet includes all information required by the prescribing directive. a . The UFO report vas received by the investigating officer, Capt Kenneth W. Schwoebel, 29 October 1 962, at approximately 1600 hours PST. Sgt James F. John R. Hogan and two trustees, of the Sheriff' s Building , 780 East Altadena Drive, Altadena, California, viewed the unidentified object in the air. Deputy John R. Hogan was contacted on 30 October 1962 at 1200 hours PST and gave the following information: (1) The above named four persons were standing outside the east wing of the Sheriff s Building, Altadena, California, observing and remarki.ng on the clearness of the sky when the object was first sighted. The flight path appeared to ba from SSE to NNW at an estimated altitude between 10,000 and 20,000 feet. At first the object appeared to be traveling slowly, but as it went overhead the viewers stated that the speed of the object se~med to suddenly increase rapidly. The object was lost from sight as it passed behind the Sheriff's Building. The four observers rushed through the building to the other side; however, the object was not seen again. Deputy Bogan at first estimated the a ltitude of the object a t 2,000 teet, while Sgt Daley believed it to oe between 10,000 and 20,000 feet. Deputy Hogan later stated he m.a.y ha7e been in error on his esti'!Mte and agreed on the 10,000 f eet altitude. (2) At no time did any o the observers notice any tail, trail or exhaust, or hear any sound coming from the object. c . !i\,u-~her .reseg.rzh in thid mattar re7'.!al'3d: (1) Sgt Daley reported the UFO by telephone to the Hollywood O.ffice of Information, Secretary or the Air Force, and was referred to 1/Lt Peter J. Feary, Information Officer of LAADS, Norton Air Force Base, California, at appraxi mataly 1215 hours PST. The j of ormation was immediately forwarded to the Commander of LAADS, Senior Director o.f LA.ADS, and IntelHgence Officer or LAADS. No intercept was sent out to investigate the UFO due to the three-hour lapse in time from first sighting by Sgt Daley and the three other observers. (2) Deputy John R. Hogan explained that the Sheriff s Building in Altadena is at an approximate elevation of 1,500 feet and is situated at the :foothills of the mountains toward the north, which rise abruptly to about 5,000 feet. (3 ) Weather offices at San Diego Municipal, Long Beach, Los Angeles International and Santa Monica Airports were contacted far any information regarding weather balloon r eleases between 0800 and 0900 hours psr. (4) The weather office at Santa Monica Airport released a weather balloon at 0900 hours, while at San Diego Airport a weather balloon was released at 0943 hours. d. The comments ot the preparing officer are: (1) From all the jnformation gathered, it would be most likely to assume and arriV9 at the conclusion that the UFO wa3 very possibly a weather balloon. The fact that the object was white, bright in appearance, end the size end shape of a basketball would teed to lead towards tbi.s logical asswaptian. In addition, the weather balloon released f'rom Santa Monica Aj rport was reported aa baing white in color and f! ve to six feet in diameter. l2 } Santa Monica Airport is locate d Ws../ in a direct line a t about 18 nautical miles from the Altadena Sheriff' s Building. The w!nd at the time the object was sighted was very light and variable. It is entirely possible that the object sighted was 1 this very balloon, which was blown inland by vagrant low level winds. The tj me of the balloon release and distance reqni red to travel make this entirely possible. (3) The ob~ervers stated that at fir~t the objact s eemed to move rather slowly. Then a s i t came overhead, its speed increased vary rapidly. (4) It will be remembered that the Sheriff s Building is situated right at the foothills of the sharply rising mountains. The vind at levels ot 6,000 feet on up to 50,000 feet was a pre- vailin~ ESE wind. Therefore, the sudden increase in velocity of . the object can be explained by the updraft currents ot air being pushed aloft, which were caused by the orographic effect of the rising m01mtain ridges in the immediate background. e. It is the opinion of the investigating officer that, based on the strength of the facts herein presented, the unidentified object in this case was a weather balloon. FUR THE COMMANDER SSE M. GUl/1.Et:rl:'E Colonel, UFU Worksheet Chief, Flight Operations Division UFOB \'IOFKSHEET .SOUICE Civilian l. DEXRIPTION OF THE OBJECT: a. Sf{APE RolliJ.d ob.ject, basketball i n size b. SIZE COMPARE;]) TO A KNOWN OBJE::T (U.SE ONE OF THE FOLLmvruG-iili-ii7 -HEAb-OF l. PIN, PEA,. DDIE,. ~ICKEL, ; UAffi'ER,. HALF .. OOLL..'l~ SILVER I.Xn.l.AR, BAL:L, .. GRAPEF'IDIT, OR t3A1KETBALL) HELD lll THE HM~DAT ABOUT AlMS L~GTH. e . FOIMATION, IF MORE THAN ONE~---------------------- TAIL, TRAIL OR EXHAUST, ThCLUDI~ G ..::il:ZE OF bAHE CONPARED TO ~ZE OF--- IDUND. IF J-IEABD, D~CRIBE ..::A)UND None 2. DESCRI:PTION OF COURSE OF OBJECT: a. WHAT FIRST CALLED, THE-ATW1TION OF OBSEINER TO THE OBJEX;T Pa rson s vrere obseryin~ and remarking on cle~rness of sky. b.. ANGLE oF ELEVATION AND AZIHUTH (DIRECTION) oF oruFiT. wHEN F-.iR:S'f~ sfdHf.ED- ANGLE O .EV.ATION-itHr 'J;'H. {DIREC TION:J:: '.QF-.. OBJ ~ T .ltlJOO;_ LAS'C OBEh'VED d. DESCRIPTION OF FLIGHT PATH' . rND/OR HANEUVER OF OBJEX;T._, ... Tr.sa~y'-li'e...,i,.i ... na~'f...,!ro~m-- e. MANNER OF D!SAPPFA'1iANCE OF OJ3j ECT 'P2)i~ed behind i:oof o f j1o1 ; ._ LENGTH OF TIME IN BrGHT 1 t o 1.~ r:Unutes 3. MANNER OF OBSEHl.ATION~--- a. U.SE OF ONE O.RANY NUNBER. OF THE FOLLO~'i.lliG .tTElW: G IDUl~D-VI5U.AL~ 1li?ECIF Y TYPE OF GIDUND-ELECTBJNIC, AIR-ELECTIDNIC (IF EL~TIDNlC, b. .ST.~TEM.ENT:~J.:S ;To-OPTICAb.Jt fffi. ( TELR iCOP&_, BThOCULAR:i_. ETC,. ) l7o;;;;;n.;.;e;....._ IF THE SIGHTING WA. HADE ~vHILE AIRBOaJE!) GIVE TYPE OF .ACFT,S) IDENTIFICATION ZULU :TIME-DATE GIDUP: 1620Z/29 October 1962 .. LIGHT CONDITIONS (NIGHT; DAYJ' DkWll ... DUS() . Dev: :~ ~ s . -rr '. 5. LOCATION OF OBEWER. EC.&CT LATITUDE 1.ND lDNGITUDS!I OR .ffi!li'ERCJ~CE TO A D{orJI.~ LAlml".!L~ She.~i-~:t S!.::...:.Jci.im . . :z.c~t. i:.'inr'. 780 E'.&.:::t J.ltaoena Drive. Altadena , Calif 6. IDElJTIFYTI\G TIlFOli'1ATION OF Ail. OD:JERIERS: OBSEJNEilf. }lCCOUNT OF W&iT'riER CONDITIONS Clear conditions REPOH.l' F1DM NEAREST. AWS 'OR US WFJ~THER BUM.AU: WIND DIHECTlOl'l .hl'D . VEL0CITY"IN""DEGREE3 :AtJD KNOTS :AT: -\-l1~ .A:V~Il.ABJ.E) . --_ ~ :---'-. c:;sl.RF.ACE -rSoutb:ast L !its .. VI.:SIBIT.ITY iertic;;,J. yis -cle2r. Horj,z;Qoi:Jl e. !MOUNT OF CLOUD COVER " 8. .ll\'Y OTHE"R UNU~AL .ACTIVITY OR CONDITION!t METroiDLOGICAL, A.STH1N0!\1lc.AL, E'l"t:fo lNTEJCEPTION OR ID:ENTIFIChTION ACTION TAKE~ .CFOR .. ADnC OR-AOCC) 10. LOC.lTION OF ANYADfT&FFIC ' IN THE ABE;A .A'1' "T..-iE TlliE Oli' .SIGHTING -_ -_-_---- 11. PO.SITION, TIT".uE AND COlll-1ENW OF 1HE PREPAiU~G OFli"ICE~ ll~CL.TJDD~;G ~S 12. KX I STENCE OF PHYSICAl. EV}DENCElt ~UGH AS MA'""J.'~:::o1m.=AL .AND P~O~G_RAPHS u----..