ATLANTIC OCEAN, May 1952May 1952

On May 8, 1952, the pilot and co-pilot of Pan American Airways Flight 203 were flying about 600 miles off the U.S. East Coast between Jacksonville, Florida and Savannah, Georgia, when they saw three strange objects in the sky. The objects were flying on a course opposite to the airliner, at the same altitude. They were roughly between one-eighth and one-quarter mile off the left wing.

The first object looked like a landing light but much brighter and about ten times larger. It was followed by two slightly smaller objects that were orange in color with tapering tails rimmed in blue. All three objects were round and evenly spaced. The crew described the first object as appearing white and brighter than any landing light they had seen. The sighting lasted just a few seconds before the objects went out of view.

The Air Force investigated the report and interviewed the pilot and co-pilot. Both crew members said the objects were completely unfamiliar to them. The Air Force checked with naval authorities and confirmed there was no known missile testing, naval activity, or submarine sightings in the area on May 7, 8, or 9. The file notes that aircraft launching missiles in the area seemed unlikely since the Pan Am crew saw no other aircraft nearby. A check with Patrick Air Force Base found no missile tests on that date. The Air Force concluded there was no clear explanation for what the crew observed.

The full case file, held by the National Archives, is reproduced below as 24 pages.