ATLANTIC 2914N 4957W, 2355N 5825W, 5625W 2415N, January 1961January 1961

Insufficient Data

Summary

On January 24, 1961, three ships in the same general area of the Atlantic reported a single object. One ship saw an illuminated body at about 300 degrees and 60 degrees altitude that started falling and disappeared at about 25 degrees altitude, surrounded by a cloud of smoke. A second ship reported an irregular, glowing and smoking object. A third ship reported a brilliant object like a moon with a big blue-white luminescence running fast across the sky.

The object was reported as moving roughly from 265 degrees toward 230 degrees, about 20 degrees over the horizon. The sighting lasted about 4 to 5 minutes. The reports came in through Coast Guard and Navy channels.

The Air Force conclusion was other, a missile. The comment says an Atlas was fired from Cape Canaveral a few minutes before the sighting and that its firing azimuth matched the directions the witnesses reported, so the object was probably the Atlas.

Reported location

ATLANTIC 2914N 4957W, 2355N 5825W, 5625W 2415N, January 1961

Date of incident

January 1961

State / country

? / XX

Page count

5 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 41

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 5

View transcribed text

" ” Lo PORTA ADE Wn + ria | oy
{
: 4 PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
| 1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
ATCARTIC 5625W 0 Wos Balloon
24k Jan 61 291LN 4957W, 2355N 5825W, 2415N|0 Probably Balloon |
- 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION i fi |
Local 1908, 1805, 1905 &@ Ground- Visual O Ground-Rador a Brsosiay Rover
GMT 0 Air Visual O Air-Intercept Radar O Possibly Aircraft
5. ‘PHOTOS . SOURCE DO Was Astronomical
O Yes 10 Probably Astronomical |
XB No Military D Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION * NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE IX Other Missile
: O Insufficient Dota for Evaluation
O Unknown
4-5 min 1 CE TRIER NETRING a AY
§ 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTINGRptd by 3 ships in same |1). COMMENTS(Objt probably a missile fired
general area. 1st Rpt: illuminated body obser-| fm Cape Canaveral. Firing schedule fm Cdpe
ved to 300° at aprox altitude 60°, Started fall-indicates that an Atlas was fired a fe:
ing at 130° disappeared 125°, approx altitude | minutes before this sighting. The AZimuik
25" + Surrounded by cloud of smoke. 2nd report | (firing) of the Atlas coincides with the
irregular flying object, glowing and smoking. | directions reported by witnesses. It is
| Ship position 2h15N, 5625W. 3rd report: strangeconcluded that object was probably the
| brilliant object like a moon with big blue-white Atlas’ fired from Cape Canaveral, :
uminiscence. Running speedy in sky 265° to
| 230°, 20° over horizon. |
; ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)
| | :
| .

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28991225