Project Blue Book Case File
34 degrees N. 12 degrees W, August 1952August 1952
Summary
On August 24, 1952, a radio entertainer named Barker saw an unusual object while driving near Pittsburg, Kansas. He described it as approximately 75 feet long, dull aluminum in color, and shaped like two platters joined together. The object was hovering about 10 feet above the ground.
Barker said he saw a humanlike figure inside a control cabin at the front of the craft. He also observed what appeared to be windows with an intense blue light pulsating inside. Around the craft's midsection, he noticed small propellers. When he got out of his car to look more closely, the object took off straight upward, making a sound he likened to quail being flushed.
After the sighting, Barker and three associates returned to the site and found only some flattened weeds, apparently pressed down by the object or its propellers.
The investigation that followed involved interviews with Barker, colleagues at his radio station, local officials, and even train dispatchers, since one theory considered was that he had seen a passing train with blue-lit windows. However, investigators found his account credible. Analysis of soil and vegetation samples collected from the site showed no evidence of radioactivity, burning, or stress of any kind.
The U.S. Air Force classified this case as unknown. The full case file, comprising 37 pages, is held by the National Archives.
Reported location
34 degrees N. 12 degrees W, August 1952
Date of incident
August 1952
State / country
? / XX
Page count
37 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unknown
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 14