2400 N-8520 W, January 1950January 1950

On the night of January 12, 1950, a B-29 bomber flying over the Gulf of Mexico at coordinates 24 degrees north, 85 degrees west encountered something unusual on its radar. At 2325 (11:25 p.m.) EST, the radar operator noticed three unidentified objects moving across the scope. The crew at the time included the aircraft commander, navigator, and bombardier, all of whom also saw the radar blips. Despite the clear skies above and only scattered clouds below, none of the crew members saw anything with their eyes.

The objects moved in ways that seemed to defy normal aircraft behavior. They appeared to orbit the B-29 from all directions at speeds estimated between 2,500 and 3,000 miles per hour. The radar operator switched between the 20, 50, and 100 mile range settings to track the objects. They would fly off about 100 miles, turn sharply, and fly back toward the plane as if preparing to attack. When they came within 20 miles of the aircraft, they appeared to hover, holding their position on the radar scope for 5 to 15 seconds at a time. The entire encounter lasted roughly 30 minutes. When the B-29 changed course, the objects stopped appearing on radar, though the radar itself was jammed for approximately 10 minutes afterward until the plane crossed over the Texas coastline.

The case file notes a possible explanation in a brief comment on the first page, suggesting "very probably interference" on the radar, though the report does not elaborate. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, spanning 9 pages.