Project 10073 Record Card: IR-37-52

This Air Intelligence Information Report (IR-37-52) details a sighting that occurred on August 9, 1952, in the vicinity of K-3 in Southeast Korea. A pilot from the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing reported observing a non-conventional aircraft described as a ball of fire with a long streamer of flame, flying at an altitude of approximately 10,500 feet. The pilot requested radar verification from Second Lieutenant Leo N. Nagrodsky, the Senior Watch Controller at MGCIS-3 CIC. Lieutenant Nagrodsky recorded several radar plots of the object, which he initially struggled to interpret, noting that the blips appeared to move at a very high rate of speed, potentially between 600 and 800 knots, or even higher if considered as a single track.

Following the incident, the Commanding Officer of Marine Ground Control Intercept Squadron 3 tentatively identified the object as a meteor. This conclusion was supported by reports from other personnel who had observed a meteor with a long, brilliant trail at approximately the same time. The report includes detailed statements from Lieutenant Nagrodsky, who provided a chronological account of his radar observations and his initial confusion regarding the nature of the blips. The report also includes graphic plot charts and maps illustrating the radar tracks recorded during the event. Ultimately, the intelligence assessment concluded that the unidentified blips were likely caused by a meteor, and that the initial high-speed estimates were the result of misinterpreting the object's nature and trajectory.