Baltimore, MarylandMay 1952

On May 27, 1952, over Baltimore, Maryland, two separate civilian men reported unusual lights. One sighting was about 2230 to 2240 (10:30 to 10:40 p.m.) and another was about 2330 to 2345 (11:30 to 11:45 p.m.).

The first witness and two others saw two large white lights low on the horizon, at first thought to be an airplane in trouble. The lights separated, one dropping left and one veering right. One light moved slowly, seeming to float and bob as if affected by air currents, then reversed course before being lost behind houses. They watched for about 15 minutes. The second witness, sitting on his porch with his wife, saw two white lights about 100 feet apart that hovered above a small plane, then sped away toward Washington. No sound was heard and no body was seen connecting the lights.

A review of flight records showed that two L-19A aircraft were flying in the area at the time of both sightings. Each aircraft had a large white navigation light on its top and bottom that throws a steady light. One pilot reported maneuvers, including climbing, turning, and dropping about 1,000 feet, that matched parts of the descriptions. The weather was clear and dark with no moon. On the Air Force record card, the case was marked Possibly Aircraft.