Lockheed Uap Sighting 1953

The Huntington Library Manuscript all Number: mssRich papers Volume/Box: Box 1 ("Personal"); Issue/Copy: ; Fold er: Folder 7 ("Clarence 'Kelly' Johnson") itle: Ben R. Ric h papers, 1940-1995. tem title: "Sighting of a flying saucer by certain Lockee d Aircraft Corporation personnel on 16 December 1953" SIGHTING OF A FL YING SAUCER BY CERTAIN LOCKHEED AIRCRAFT CORPORATION PERSONNEL ON 16 DECEMBER 1953 Enclosure: January ZO, 1954 Sighting of Flying Saucer by Certain Lockheed Aircraft Corporation Person..'l"lel Air Technical Intellig,ence Center Wright-Dattcrson Air Force Base, Ohio (a) Four copies each of reports by C. L. johnson R. L. Thoren, R. E:. W in1m~r. P. A. Colman, and J. F. Ware, on the Sighting of a Flying Saucer on 16 December 1953. 1. The: enclosure is made up of a number of :reports concerning the sighting of a so-called flying sauc~r on 16 December 1')53. The reports are self-explanatory. Only one copy of the ma? is attached, indicating generally where this device was seen. This information has not been rclec:.scci to the press, but is submitted fo;;: such scientific pu:rpoa es as you!" group may be (:;Oncerned with. Your comm.ents on the sightings reported will be LOC.K..~EED AlRCRAFT CORPORATION C.A I..,!FORNL.!\ DIVISION C larencc L. Jofu,.Son Chid Enginee~ V CALIFORNIA DIVISION LOCKHEED AIRCRAFT CORPORATION December 18, 1953 To: Air Force Investigating Group on Flying Saucers On Wednesday, December 16th, 1953, my wife and I went out to our :ranch, which is three mile~ west of Agoura, California, and one mile north of Ventura Blvd. We arrived there at about sundown, which is close to 4:45 P. M. PST. We went immediately to our ranch house, which is located on a hi 11 facing s .outhwest. At app:.oximately 5 o clock (within two minutes> accuracy}, I was looking a t the sunset through a large plateglass window, when I noticed above a mountain to the west what I first thought to be a black cloud. The sun had gone down and the whole western sky was gold and red-, with several thin layers of clouds or haze at f airly high altitude~ I wondered why this one object was so dark, conside:ring that the sun was behind it. I immediately thought that some ai:i.craft had made an intense smoke trail; so I studied the object closely. It was apparent, after my first few. seconds 0 consideration, that the outline of this object did not change. Thinking it was a lenticular cloud, I continued to study it, but it did not mov2 at all for three minutes. I do not know. how long it was 'there before my attention was c2.lled to it: When it did not move or disintegrate, I asked my wife to get me our eight-power binoculars, so I would not have to take my .eyes .off the object, which by now I had :recognized as a so-called ;saucer". As. soon as I was given the glasses, I ran outside and started to focus the glasses on the object, which now was moving fast on a h~ading between 240 and 260. When 1 got the glasses focused on the object, it was already moving behind the first layer of haze. I . gathered its speed was very high, because of the rate of fore-sho:!'teni:ng of its major axis. The object, even in the glasses, appeared black and distinc~, but I could make out no detail, as I was looking toward the setting su.n, which was, of course, below the hodzon at this time. In 90 seconds from the time it started to move, the object had completely disappeared, in a long shallow climb on the heading noted. The clouds were coming onshore,. in a direction oi i:ravel opposite to that of the object. The time in which my wife .and I studied this object was between. 5:00 and 5:05. The object, which had hovered stationary for at least three minutes, appeared to be very large but, not knowing its distance from me> I could not estL.~ate its dimensions. At all .times the object appeared as an ellipse, with .a inesia ratio of the larger axis to the minor one of about 7 or 10 to l. I estimated the position of the object to be roughly over Point IV!ugu, which lies on a bearing about 255 from my On the morning of Decembez-17th, I returned to work, having been absent for at out a week, and JVIr. 71a.ssall, Assistant Chief Engineer, and M:\". Carl f'/ o i I o.pJ Jf""' trJ 1n2!I.NG SAUCER? Cc1 1'IEd..1esd.a.y; December J.6, 1953, I pm-ticipated in a te.Jt flir.ht of u. .:'la:.~ 3,;.por Cons~allD..tion :}V-2., tak:....:.p: oft c:.t, 4:29 p.mu The :fli,:;M:, crew con:Ji:;t.,d '.Ji': Roy W:'Lmmer, pil_ot; rr.ysel.f, co-pilot; Charlie Gr-ugan, i'li?ht 011gj:r1zr::.':. c:i.;.:d Joe Waro, flir;.ht test env.neero \-le climbed cut -:.c-.;.;a=ds the acaai: c:..~:.=. lo-ve1.:.oo off at 10,000 fee"i:. for a short test.. After conqlstins trii.3 ,.:.est :l:ir::r,E::ze turn8d the controls over to me and I st.artec. cli.-nbi:ng to cu::-next i,2::rc a ):l:,:.tude of 20,000 i'eec.. I climbed through a. ver-f tbin, sca:ttered. overc~[;t, 3q,:m,;hera around 14,000 .fa-~t, U'1cided a couple of ~:;na.L1 cloud.3., and con:c:'.r: 2:~:ci ::,0 clir~b to:w.rds 20,000 f set., ;.,L~:1'8; s a. i~Ly-i l'lg saucoT., :-: I :tocked out the wir..dshield ".:;o:.Ja.::.. .. d.3 -:f.h:e:."G fi.'::y ~"-!ti :)::J:iirC.:i..ng and. sa11 scr:1e scrt of a.11 ob.ject at a.pproxirr:3. tal~r t..i.""le alt,i ~1d.e "t~:a .... ;~ -::..;s ~;n1 1 D..;y-:t~,g> ~ rnade a sl.:lght turn h,E?ad.ing riglrt t,0: ..:i."'ds this ob;j2c~:i~ .~:::~.Jf:.~::,in; t<~ o,:rr,1~1;~1re tt. so that. 1;,e c cu..l...d. loclc at it mo:re clcsely ~ .J.. mainta:.Li-i~d ... ,.'::l.:'; .;1;:-...1cli;J.g for l'onghly f:i.-ve mi.i.""lutes, looJ,-,.ing <it th0 oojsct. a.J.J. 1~'1t:; tim8~ ':i:'~r::m('.,::': ~-l.!.l' e and myself 7is-=.;ecl "this thir.:.g i'or at. l t,2-st. .:5.V~:i rn:lnuts3, diz~t,3:c:l.:ng :~;~: ,-:t. ~-1e thc1.1ghij it mieht be~ \>Ji.:r!Ir..er ~ s fii~st in1pre~ sion ~-;as .. (,~E~t. it ~;as !~ .1 =~.Lc11u.,l 1-': .. fte1~ ~rt,ucljrlng it for several minutea though~ I ctGduc-.sd t.ih-r;:~ :..t =.1(Y~:. .~ GlGud. bsc2.use it b.2..d too defilri te sh.a;rp erJge;:, ar::i it~ t\~po~anc:;-;! ~ .. i2'.-y-..::;(~ :.:~t-Glrt tl 1e Se..! Gl2V(.~.ticn as., ::if :: ::..f.1 ai~ this tiri1e that -I :.:;c::.3 J.. "NVJ..l.d, .!.:.'thcngll the ot;jec"t appeE:.red t,0 be absolutely si:;at:L~1'7.f :; WG did. ;:-:o-t. ~G{~,,1 ::;::: c1Qs:Lr.:{{ t.he gap bet.,1,;n c~ us and this object, e;;\:;n tho~.1F:i1 ~-,e -;:,;ar .:1i~tr:n1.?Gicn :,;as c:t:: ver)~l f::(".m it .for a. ndnut.a o:r so, but, '..J:l.rmn. men'C:\crr~cd. :;l:~e cb.jac't ":iB.5 ,:lisappsa.?:i; ~g . Ir1 p:r,cbe.bJ.y ru1 ,t3l-3psed t~ne of .sci1ne1;1b2rG ~ riJ..r~1.rts:, t,~19 object natl T3duced in sizG to a me:re ~peck ;.1!: r':i.:~o:n bu.t, th2 sky 11as r ,~d;, ~,11d this c1Jject had bee n s:Llhcu.:::t t ,3d l-;e::::Z::;:~;:i.i .. .,r !.c ct ::tne at , it i :n 1'e W.,.,03pect, t_urie objei:!t rr.ust ha-ve taen cc,1i_sid:3rabl~:r 12..:rg~s1 tl:2t.TI :i!1g bac1\ a.t, th .~ flight, ~ecord tak,3n on this flight, it 1--ias 1~st!c-1..,C.e.d. il~.:1:~j :rn l.G'i(;!led oi:f a.t 20,JOO feet a.t 5:10. Inasr.mch as ue :1.c.d sight.eel 0hi.s ::;bj <,c~:; =-l~.ar1 1;e 1:rcre ~c,rJs~here betAeen 16,000 c.rn 18,000 feet, our vlsr-1 cf the cj~J :!Gt, ::; .. irted at :rcughly , o'clcck!I or just. a little befc:r.e t~12:t., He contin,J.e'.:;. '.Ti:i:.h .:-:1:.1~ test fl..i.ghii, thir.!-~.,..,~ no ruore of this observc;1.;:,i , ~-1!""":.d J..D.Tir.i.:2d ~i.ft8~7 6 : r clcck.. \'le discussed oth:r details of ths flight and ;;.hen ~.eni:, ?10::1:: ~ .-n:Jr.:. t heme, I di:mc:-ibad the sc-called flying saucel"' to rny family ar:d m::.,d:3 ::i. .U.t tla ske-::.ch of ~.;hat it leaked like to mao I reoort.ed '.:.o .rnrk ar..d went di.::-3ctlv to ::::::e Ih.--.. Co Lo Jch::::::,n Chi.el' Eng:.i.nee:..~, to give ld:a a. report, on acti Y:i. ties c.ccmring in t.,;.-,e lust :::..m, ;:wffc,ing were .::.lso Mro Jae:~ !:/assall ar.d l'h:'" C.2.:. .. 2. Hz:id..cn., '(!n diacu::s~-d. a r:.i:m,bor of t.:-dr-~s ar.!.l, in the ccu:.:-se of the ccnveroat.ion, : di::::.!usoed tha flirM, :n.2.j,:1 }'8::.=t,r:d,q on ~his WV-2o Upo::1 co:nplotion oi' t!1G tGcr .... -iical d.acussion, I c.s.au.:i.lJ.1 msntimrnd (.fc:-foa:c of b2ing ridicu..1:ro) that I had been chan:Lng a fJ.y:Lng :.c;aucer t ...:Le-ht,o :(,:illy tmapp-ed -tr.3..s up :;:.mediately~ a;tl said that he kn2."!il ~O.'J,~t~ ,ii"~-3 :i:i::, ;:res ni.d whon~ a.1:i., with no i'urt,h,.3r 2.dieu, ha said that it ;;as at 5:05 c>.n:l. t,:113 objec::i tias ei~ht.:::-d. off cf Pc:i.nt 1111.::,01.1, This litorally bowl.~. r.,e ,.,ver:.: t:Ec2.:1:rn t .. ':.e l::cation of t,he cbject th at I sif:ht.ed ,rn.3 c:'f of :'oL'1t ~':ugn., : :C::.J.2.nds, Ir ,r-identally, ,:.:t the t:L,1e I had sig:hted it., !JG 1iw:G fl.y:i.n; cT:er the. cc0a;a 0uai, o'i ... :? of lcll.f~ Beacho t~:,1..., tberi re:La that last night ~"'ri about s~cs pu:n,~ h.:-~ hc.i..d. s~en a2~ r:bject in "trr.:: wes~:,e;,:,:: sky and h -2.d gctten h:'.::J b:L.nocu:i.:~s ci:1'.i J.cnked i:l.t it 5.::i d,0't-E":.ilo :In 6.!~5c~ib~d ~.t, 2.a a ~-1in_:; 1titJ1 an a~pect ?-ati:J of~ ::!_pprc~.dlr~taly Beveno tie :;aid. tt-.z.t, it i:/.:l)pc228d 3ta.t,ion.?..!"y for se'IJ!~I'1:!.l mi.'lut~J~ ~ anc. t-J:cn .rH.mdir.i.g d.:l?ectJ,,r :1est. it , C.j_sappeare:d. in one to t,-;-Jo clnut .. 3s, a3 I ,:~r::;,11,~ct.,.h:Ln C.Q:r!V~!'sat,i cn'l 11.-:s t1Cl':1/ .jibBS ,:~:.~E..Ct~r wi.tl1 ~t;hai;, W5 Sa~J in ilieb:~ at 't.C.e 5~;ns t:=vlli~c, Z ~nig.=::~::: m~nt:1~sr1 tha'~ I hs.-i~ Caen 7er;r skeptic<!~.L of fl~r:.Ln;:-sa11ce1 .. r1tcr::.~.:!3.~ <.1nd :.;;;."':"':3 :2.ev,:::-r e;~n :Li:agined Jeeine: an nbjec-r. tn "i:.l:-2 S!~ th\t, I uas not. 2.ble ,",C :Li:~n-i;:ii'y o 'Ib thrse of 123 who watched it frcm the a.:Lrp~.d.rle ill:'G a].l pilc~;3 \'Iho :Lrir. for many yearn on experiment.al teat ~.o:-k, a..11d. a.r~i t~a.:i.::.Ed to -.,,, te r..ccv.ra:cs:: cb::ieli'v-atio.rrs., K~lly c..1.lso has l::a.d. a let o .r' a~;3ri~nca in .C.ight t,:;::.,t, -rol"!(.:: cr.J. has been .:.'l.yi.ng for r:u.ny y~arr! snd. is a.J o <.. 7ary t .r:2.i..'1.~d obtser= -'2:.'o The fac:, that what hz 5aw ..i.nd , .. hat we ::a~i app~ar;:: to 1.H-) idsnticc1.l, cl"!d tr.a tiiii.a c\nd pl.c!.C~J identic2.l, lead.fl me "to bel:.0Ye t,r,,.3.t :~ t i:!as nc,t e::r.a.ct,ly ,\l.i:l R~ _Lo Tl1cren FLYING S.i1.UCER7 Oll. W~dn<Jadny, ~oember 16th I mod~ a te~t flight in Connt!lllat::.,.,::.1 ~SOlo Tho orew in che oool.."Pi t oonaisted of mynali' :9.3 pilot R .. Lu Thcr::ii:! na cc:,=pilct Charle:3 Gr,..1g;;n. f~ight engineer and J. F. 't'iare ,w '1:5.g.irc t.cnt ongineelo I took off lata in ~che nf'ta~con and i-an :Joma tes-tn dm,ing J.;ha ol:1.mb i;o 10 000 :feet FJnd th3n nads a le:,11el run for a f:C!JV! minu:;;;JG I thun otarted -::;o climb to ;:rn,,ooo foot end turned th0 c~nt:-ol~ crrnr co Rudy Thoreno V:e continued OUT olimb in a Bouth=e$stv:d~r dil'Ge-tio;.'l and uomcwh:,ro in i~ha vici~li:ty of Long Bouch or Srurca Ana be.,c.rocn J.5.,000 000 :t"~at ;~ nmde a right turn on-to a nest h~adi~go Tho ,wn hnd .jl::;:; ue{; 1;ut ~h:, ei::-we.e ,;ery cle a:-end th.e lig;h"t waa roaJ. good i;o..:;i1d tho waJc-t ., ! mrtio0d ~1 aloud lay-0r i:::J. the YreB"l:i atnr-ting scr.newaore aast of Sazri:;o C:rt: .. Island ::re about our ~l ti tudeo 1~bov-e -chin aloud layer, wi:,12 out in t l,0 olo:!l' 9il", ! Sf-JI>' 7il1R ! though;:; was a BrJ.all cloud lcok: at 'che flyizls ::aauce:d" Af'~r watohing it for a i'o,7 u1inutas vr,'3 deoidad ii; wmm't a cloud b u t s ome kind or obj~ct., !-t:; had .?. dsf!.z,~-ce shope Tihioh appeared to i::-.o 2:Jr.o G <H'SJ.:~oen+,o Othcn3 en board dsoc:i"ibed it es a huge f'ly,_ng m..ng_, I 0012ld n,;'{; dot?Jot ~ny dotails ,:,-ti:er thnn the shopa of it o I ostimatad tbs di3t::mcc i' .rom us to be Ed; lesa-t i'i.:."ty or sixty m:!.le3 and possibly mu.ch fari:ht3;:"., In tho olaer ~i? like -thf:it it ie --:rery ha:rd to judga diatano<3., '!ie flaw di:rectl:,r "cC".'iDrtl it fo"t' about fi-v0 :minutos 8J'ld cc~ :,Q0ls.t:tve pcs:tt5.on did not r.ppei:>r -;;o oh8Uf,;'!lo :I do not reo:111 our e::cact a peGd, ,1hetbn~ no wo.~s ;;till oli:r::bing o.-m1e-th:::;r we had leveled otr during this tir:ic'.lo A3 Rudy was fl:r:::.ng tl:e e irplsne, I hsd nothing elfle t o do but t o '".i;tch the objeo;;. }fte::-abouc f'ivo min~tes I nuodenly rsalizec. it TI :=is iilC"'.;-:. ll s cmny from us headn g st:r-:J:..ght. w::>ot., In the cprnJei o~ abou-c on<& :mi::-x~-0 i;; s m~llcr and disoppeflred~ :;: was ,retching it all the 'tL"'10 so I T. nB '3.bl:3 ~o nsi'.l i t i'oz sever1:1.l aeco~d3 ei'-:er the rsJat of the or.aw !'lad lost ~ight c:e it.:-H.~ght U? un-til t he ~ir.ie H di3appoa:.. c. j ;l; :;nsintained :l.ta aha~ outline end de:i:.'i.L.i' :;;J ~fr:.FlpEi ao I knov1 it we.'3 z::,.o;; a cl.c ud that di,3:::ol 'l;,!d ;;:. ving -the l:l}?ftH,:S .. f!!lOe e r'' I might add that ! ha7e had conaiderable e:::parienc0t while do~:.:rct!; r;::idcI' bombing on P2V' s, or catimPting distancoia wlw~ thel"e is rn"::'J ~i t ~le to ~udg-9 by find I am con~r.:.noed this was fl lnrgo object some dfote.ncG a:-.;.,y ., ., Wii-i:mer Engine!n"ing Test Pilot Lockhaed Aircraft Corporaticn California Division INTERDEPARTMENTAL CCMMUNICATION Clarence L. Johnson P. A. Colman FLUNG SAUCERS January 11, 1954 This is an account of my experience of witnessing the presence of an object in the sky. I was flying in the Lockheod WV=2 airplane with Mr. R. 1. Thoren, Mro Joseph Ware, Mr. Roy Wimmer plus other members of the Flight Test G:roup. The tmee individuals mentioned arid I were in the oilots canpart.ment of the airplane:i at approxima_tely 5:00 p.m. en the night of itie&lesday, Dec~n:ber 16, 195Jo While flying off the coast in tre vicinity of Santa Monica, I saw an object ap- parently standing still ;n the air off the coast, in t:.'1.e vicinity of Point Mugu. We were flying at 16,000 ft .. , and to the 'best of my judgment the object was at the same al ti tudeo The object appeared as a th:L.-i black line, giving a first :reac= tion of a B-36 typs airplane, r.eading straight toward us and silhouetted agai.11st a bright backgroundo The b&ckground was bright due to the fact that the sun was just settingo The object appeai"Bd not to move while :;1e progressed with our testso For a few moments we turned th airplane tcwaro the object but did not apparently change our distance sufficientJ.y to r,et any change of impressiono I estimate that too object was hovering :5.n our sj_ght for about tan m:L"1uteso Thereafter, it sud- denly accelerated due west end ir. a time, in the order or 10 ~econds, disappeared from viewo Tha following day it was revealed that Mr. Clarence L. Johnson had seen the iden~ ti cal obj set while standi.--ig on the ground at his ranch. This coincidence is in- terestingo The difference :L11 the positions, both horizontally and vertically between us indicate that t.1.e object had sufficient depth to eliminate the possi- bility that it W"as a cloud phenomenono The similarity of the expl.reations of the shape and actions of the object is :.remarkable. However, the blac.'mess made it :L11possible to discern any-thing but the basic outlfoe o P .AC : ms Chief AerodynBmics Engineer AIRCRA?T CORPORATIOJ CALIFCfilIIA DIVISION Ao Il'o V,. Oo Toa C. L .. Jolm!Jcn oo a Intna.-1l.1~ Tost Films Froma J. ll'. TI'a.re, Jr. Subj t FLYnlG SAUCERS. On ~ocmber 16, 1953. I we.e a b03.?'d wv .. 2 airpln.ne, LAC 4301. m. th Roy Tiimrn.sr o.a pilot. Rudy Thoren a.a Co-pilot, Charlie Gru.g;mn as Flight Enginaero Phil Coll:SD ;:aa all'lo in too oookpit., At Iii.bout 6s00 PM vte '\'lf'i3re ove1r tha Catalina ohrumel araa. (bei:.wasn Avalon Qnd Pnl.os Verdes hills) at 16000-16000 .rt ... on top of .., aes.t-terod ~ bt'Ckcm ovsroast., Tha hori ton ims "i7o1l definod by tha rayr; of tb!I G~tt~ aeen, ruJd the, slc;y ab<.ve, the overc::~:it wa.a olGal'",) Our &ttontion \7a3 drU71J. to v1h1:1.t lookod liko a large :urpl~o orr to th@ ri1;hto 'c'fe wsre rouehly pm-a.11 ol1nr; tho ooo.!Jt at "thQ tin&, and Roy think,. mantioned s a flyin,e aaucerff o Wa hava kicldoo Ray i1 good cli'Jo.l about flying ea.uoers :si:coo the nie;ht 17.bout 'bao yo~/'! ago TI;.en ho and Bob Wrd 7rnra in l96lS Emd a1ghtsd iome lir;hta over Cstttlinao The.ii) light:J :-aport-edly :}toad :rtill to!' a n"hile ru1c. I:1.0VOO around crier tb.9 island Gmd f'irus.lly dia:&.ppeured .. I ,Jafl ats.nd.1~ 'beit.men the pilota and ob:.erved the object out of the co,. pilotJ:s windO':f in 4301. Phil Colm,,".Ult m attention 71"3.:7 alno dN.ltll ta t~ objeot., Rudy, who vra.:, !'lyin,:; at th~ tima, tU:nwd a,:ound and hoaded toward the objeot. During this time, it seomed to be ststionazy., although \,e did not appear to ove"Jrtaka it at allo My .f'i~at thought v1u that it wao a lnrgo airplane, possibly a C-124~ but aftor lo~...nc mo~e alcsely