Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Unidentified Flying Object Reported on 20 September 1957
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AI-Generated Summary
This memorandum details a 1957 radar tracking of a high-speed, high-altitude object over the US. The Air Force attributed the radar anomalies to weather conditions and SAC training exercises, while the CIA assessed that there was no evidence of Soviet involvement.
This memorandum, dated 21 September 1957, addresses a report of an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) tracked by US Air Defense Command (ADC) radar on 20 September 1957. The object was observed moving on a relatively straight course from the eastern tip of Long Island toward the vicinity of Buffalo, traveling at an altitude of 50,000 feet and a speed of 2,000 knots. Reports of radar jamming were noted by several radars in the area extending as far west as Chicago. In a subsequent briefing for the Intelligence Advisory Committee (IAC), the US Air Force clarified that original reports had been degraded by three factors: an 11-minute break in the tracking, weather conditions known to produce false radar pips, and electronic interference caused by Strategic Air Command (SAC) B-47 aircraft conducting an ECM training flight near Chicago. While the ADC investigation remained ongoing at the time of the memo, it was concluded that phenomena reported west of Buffalo were unrelated to the UFO. The document further assesses the possibility of Soviet involvement, concluding there is no intelligence to support such a connection. It is deemed unlikely that a Soviet aircraft could achieve the reported speed and altitude while returning to Bloc territory. Furthermore, the agency finds little motivation for a one-way Soviet operation, noting that reconnaissance missions would be of marginal value and carry a high risk of compromise.
The ADC has not completed its investigation of this incident, but in any event it now seems clear that the phenomena reported west of Buffalo were not related to the UFO.
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Official Assessment
The ADC has not completed its investigation of this incident, but in any event it now seems clear that the phenomena reported west of Buffalo were not related to the UFO.
The intelligence community has no evidence of Soviet activities related to this event. It is considered unlikely that a Soviet aircraft could conduct a mission at this speed and altitude and return to Bloc territory. There is little motivation for a one-way operation, and reconnaissance operations are considered unlikely due to low value and high risk of compromise.