21 deg 32'N & 157deg 06'W (Pacific), February 1951February 1951

Insufficient Data

Summary

On February 24, 1951, over the Pacific Ocean near 21 degrees north and 157 degrees west, a sailor aboard the merchant ship Natalia Logger reported a strange object at about 0244 (2:44 a.m.) ship time. The second mate, on watch on the bridge, was the witness.

He described the object as dark and cylindrical with a short reddish tail, in a position about 1 to 2 degrees above and north of the star Vega. It traveled at a very slow speed compared to a meteor or falling star, and appeared to be a rocket in controlled flight. It crossed the eastern sky on a downward track and disappeared at about 4 degrees elevation behind a cloud bank. The weather was clear.

The report was forwarded by Navy intelligence. The mate was described as a competent observer who had spent most of his life at sea. The Air Force recorded the case in Project 10073, its official file for unidentified flying object reports. The conclusion was insufficient data, because the duration was not reported, and it was probably a meteor.

Reported location

21 deg 32'N & 157deg 06'W (Pacific), February 1951

Date of incident

February 1951

State / country

? / XX

Page count

3 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 8

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 3

View transcribed text

: ; PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD ; |
a thames Ta conciusions | |
2 Was Bailoen
23 Feb 51 21 deg 32'N & 157decg 06%Wi(Pacific) [0 Probobly Balloon
Sg ge CPE CON Ti+ 1 VETTE TY eee ee a Possibly Bolicon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION
Local ur rr pe ft Ground- Visual O Ground-Radar a ls Tanah
GMT Q2LL7 0 Air-Vi suai fo) Air-Intercept Raaar ] [w] Possibly Aircraft
5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE (s] F Strenamied
oy 1 Probobly Astronomica
py Sailor 0 Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION I's. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE BE EE
: (IX Insufficient Dota for Evaluation
fol given 1 ESE 0 Unknown
10. Brigg SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 3 11. COMMENTS
Cbject was dark and cylindrical with: short Insufficient data for evaluation in that
reddish tail,"in a position approx 1 deg to duration not reported, Probably a meteor,
2 deg above and to the north of Vega. Traveling
at a very slow speed compared to the speed
of a m2teor or falling star. It appeared to
be a rocket in controlled flight, Disappeared
about 4 deg elevation.
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28939096