100 NM NW WAKE IS 1950N 16430E (FAR EAST), May 1961May 1950

Insufficient Data

Summary

On May 4, 1961, a co-pilot aboard a military transport plane spotted an unidentified object in the night sky roughly 100 miles northwest of Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean. The plane, a C-124 cargo aircraft, was flying at 520 knots on a heading of 238 degrees true from Warner Robbins Air Force Base in Georgia. The co-pilot, Captain Carrol L. Holley, first noticed the object among a group of stars at an angle of about 40 degrees above the horizon. The object appeared as bright as a star in the belt of Orion constellation and was white in color.

Over the course of seven to eight minutes, the object maintained a straight and level flight path aligned with the aircraft's course. Its apparent movement against the background stars revealed that it was moving independently. The object eventually disappeared from view due to the limitations of the cockpit window configuration, not because it changed direction or behavior. The navigator, First Lieutenant Wiley S. Brooks, and radio operator, Staff Sergeant Thomas J. Kahler, also observed the sighting. All three witnesses were rated as reliable observers.

The investigating officers noted that the object's apparent movement was too fast for a planet and too slow for a meteor. A check with Space Command to determine if the object could have been an artificial satellite came back negative. However, because the witnesses could only provide elevation data and not precise compass bearing information, investigators could not reach a definitive conclusion about the object's true nature. The reporting officer, Captain Johnny W. Shanks, suggested that the sighting might have been a satellite passing through the area, but acknowledged that no firing data was available to verify this explanation.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising nine scanned pages.

Reported location

100 NM NW WAKE IS 1950N 16430E (FAR EAST), May 1961

Date of incident

May 1950

State / country

? / XX

Page count

9 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 42

hs - : PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD ; I. DATE 2. LOCATION : i 12. CONCLUSIONS i jeo NY) NV WHALE Is fae Se <7), 72 Va Jie 0 Was Balloon ; 4 May 61 19508 16430E (FAL Eas ) O Probably Bolloon 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION © Fesuiy Bunton 3 ppg 1 Lowel S382 eo 0 Ground- Visual O Ground-Rodar a oe nf AA k yp | Lr 4 - PN » GMT 0 +11152Z o Air Visual 0 Air-Intercept Radar DO Possibly Aircraft i 5. PHOTOS « SOURCE 0 Was Astronomical O Yes 0 Probably Astronomical B*No Military . OD Possibly Astronomical 1 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE DO Other SATELLITE, : B Insufficient Deto for Evaluation 5 Le 0 Unknown 3 7-8 min 1 straight path : 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING Size of star in belt 11. COMMENTS A check was made with Space ; of Orion. Color white, with same magnitude rack to determine if objt could have 4 of a star. Noticed it in a group of stars een satellite, with negative results. on a 40° angle to horizon which was apparent Objts apparent movement was too fast for 1 by its movement. Sighted 40° above horizon to planet, and too slow for meteor. Witnadses 1 4 po aK Pn : bs a Ea 5 o 1 1ine of flight. Remained in straight and ave elev of objt, but not az, precluding level flight and disappeared fm point of view valid conclusion as to nature of objt. ; due to vision limitations imposed by cockpit |Zaa5i1dRen SATELLITE Ay USN 1:3 ATE 3 configuration. Position of a/c--1950N 164308, Ae Pirazr, : 100 miles NW of Wake Island on a heading of 28B° T. E 3 ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52) bS