--- 09204_2004_001_a.jpg --- SAUCERS OVER HaRry 6. sanues, senior ain ROUTE TRAFFIC LONTRO
AI Summary
This document details radar sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena over Washington, D.C. on July 19, 1952, as reported by air traffic controllers and pilots. The sightings involved multiple unidentified objects that exhibited unusual flight characteristics, prompting investigations by military and aviation authorities.
Key Findings
- Radar operators detected seven unidentified objects on July 19, 1952. - Pilots reported seeing bright lights coinciding with radar pips. - Objects demonstrated high-speed maneuvers, including sharp turns and acceleration. - Investigations concluded that these were not ordinary aircraft or natural phenomena. - A meeting was held to discuss cooperation between military and weather services for better identification of aerial reports.
OCR Text
--- 09204_2004_001_a.jpg --- SAUCERS OVER HaRry 6. sanues, senior ain ROUTE TRAFFIC LONTROLLER FOR THE CIVIL AERONAUTICS ADMINISTRATIONWAS IN [SHARGE OF THE WATIONAL AIRPORT, WASHINGTON, 0.C.,A.R.T. CONTROL CENTER ON THE NIGHT OF JULY 19, 1952. “TBRIEFY,"HE STATES INA NEWSPAPER ARTICLE, "...0UR JOB 18 TO CONSTANTLY MONITOR THE SKIES ARGUND THE NATIONS CAPITOL WITH THE ELECTRONIC EYE OF RADAR...” SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT ON THAT DATE, SEVENPIPS APPEARED SUDDENLY ON THE CONTROL CENTER'S SCOPE. ED NUGENT, JIM COPELAND, AND JIM RITCNEY,ALL EXPER: NENCED RADAR CONTROLLERS, CHECKED THE OBSERVATIONS. THE AIRPORT CONTROL TOWER RADAR OPERATORVER!~ GiGD JME SAME SlouTING. THEY MERE OVER “THE RESTRICTED AREAS OF WASHINGTON, INCLUDING THE WHITE HOUSE 4ND THE CAPITOL..* ss (Captanc.s. PIERMANA CAPITOL AIRLINES PILOT OF 17 BARNES STATES: “OURING THE NEXT 14 MINUTES, HE ‘YEARS FLYING EXPERIENCE, SHORTLY AFTER TAKING OFF, (PIERMAN) REPORTED THAT NE SAW SIX SUCH LIOHTS, . MAS ASKEDTO CHECK THESE MYSTERIOUS OBJECTS. ME. EAGH SIGHTING COINCIDED WITH A PIP WE COULD RADIOED BACK. SEE WEAR HIS PLANE, WHEN HE REPORTED THAT THERE'S ONE. AND Te: THE LIGHT STREAKED OFF AT HIGH SPEED," DIS- THERE TT OOEST = . S| APPEARED FROM OUR SCOPE...” (3 THAT MEANS IT. ZOOMED OUT OF OUR BEAM JBETMEEW SHEEPS! \T ACCELERATED = FROM /30 MILES PER NOUR TO ALMOST 500. IN LESS THAN 4 SECONDS. - fPIERMAN DESCRIBED IT AS A BRIGHT LIGHT MOVING FASTER, [AT TIMES, THAN A SHOOTING STAR... 7, ‘WASHINGTON, D.C. --- 09204_2004_002_a.jpg --- Barnes en states: “serone NOTIFYING THE AIR THERE IS NO OTHER CONCLUSION Z CAM REACH BUT THAT. FORCE... OUR TECHNICIANS HAD CAREFULLY FOR SIX NOURS ON THE MORNING OF THE 20TH OFJULY THERE ‘CHECKED THE EQUIPMENT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WERE AT LEAST IO UNIDENTIFIABLE OBJECTS MOMNG OVER IT WAS OPERATING PERFECTLY. -* WASHINGTON. THEY WERE NOT ORONARY AIRCRAFT. COULD TELL THAT BY THEIR MOVEMENT ON THE SCOPE “ST can SAFELY DEDUCE THAT "...AND COMPLETE REVERSALS [*NOR \N ux OPINION COULD ANY THEY PERFORMED GYRATIONS WHICH OF FLIGHT...” NATURAL PHENOMENA 8UCM, WOKWOWN AIRCRAFT COULD ‘AS SHOOTING STARS,ELECTRI~ PERFORM, ® THIS T MEAN THAT CAL DISTURBANCES, OR CLOUDS ‘OUR SCOPE SHOWED THAT THEY : [ACCOUNT FOR THESE SPOTS ON OUR, COULD MAKE A/GHT ANGLE TURNS" rapaR. 7 He aR DEEPIN AN EFFORT To SoUiRM OUT sovee aete Tue ain Force ove oe fo sou our [74s was THe ain Fonce's exe | Boys: oF This SionTiNe. aTwocLOcK ON JULY 29,1982, 4. | 24 c Ee PRESS CONFERENCE WAS HELO. gomes 0 seater cone: | (1) THE ACTUAL “GENTLEMEN? THE RAgAR-SIGHTINGS OVER Tune-rvension raconr. wren | TEMPERATURE- TMMERSIOM. "we OSICCTS WERE REFLECTIONS ewes a Caren OF Wa INVERSE 0 Clow nays ane nereacreo.as’ | OVER WASH- THEY Aas TuRoveN.\F a TeM- | INGTON ON THE pevarune- version iz rmowe | NIGHT OF JULY Storencnoe. cient nave way | 19,'52, WAS. Even ve nericereo.rwsiewet| JUST ONE causes amates on oesentson | “DEGREE WEATED ROADS. Lice LIeh 9 ‘mares ane szgonarnscreo on'| FAHRENHEIT! REFLECTED."reupenarone~ ‘AND (2) YOU ronce sai. | FORGOT THE VISUAL SIGHTINGS?* --- 09257_2005_001_a.jpg --- 26 July 1952 Memorandum for Record Subject: Trip to Washington, D. C. 1. On 21 July 1952, Col D. L. Bower and Capt EB, J. Ruppelt went to MATS Hq at Andrei Afr Weather Service end Flight Service assisting in Project Blue Book. Col AFB, Maryland, to Gisouss the possibility of the MATS was contacted. He celled in Major from the Director of Intelligence Office of Hq MATS. The proposition that these people could help us in Project Blue Book was presented, ‘The Air Weather Service could help 18 by assisting the reports that we receive for possible balloons and Flight Service could help us by attempting to identify reports that turned out to be aircraft, 2. Capt ‘and Warrant Officer were called into the meeting, These men vere from Air Weather Service, The project was outlined to ‘these people and @ discussion was held as to how they can help us. Capt Ruppelt showed several examples of how we had tracked balloons previously and asked these People if they could do the same, After a lengthy discussion these people left the meeting and it was decided that ATIC would draw up a proposal stating what we wanted these people to do end submit it to them on an informal basis, They vould then review this with ATIC people and make necessary corrections to arrive at a final proposal, then this final proposal would be sent to them through channels, They were advised that if the task appeared to be a big one a transfer of funds from ATIC to MATS could be arranged. 3. The of the meeting with the weather people, Lt Col. who 1s Intelligence Officer, and Deputy for Operations of Flight Service, vas --- 09257_2005_002_a.jpg --- celled in, The problem of identifying these objects as aircraft was discussed. It wes previously known that it is a difficult Job to trace aircraft back to a given position in the U.S, or merely using flight plen reports, etc. However there is a possibility…
Metadata
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- CONFIDENTIAL
- Department
- NARA
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