Birmingham, Ala, August 1951August 1951

On the night of August 11-12, 1951, residents of Birmingham, Alabama reported seeing unusual objects in the sky. The first report came around 11:25 p.m. (2325 CST) when a caller described an object about 18 to 20 feet across with a circular shape. The object trailed twin streams of orange-red flame and reportedly made repeated passes over the TCL Company plant in nearby Fairfield at speeds estimated between 300 and 1,000 miles per hour, flying at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,000 feet.

The sighting triggered an official response. A radar unit (AN/MSO-2) at the 3903rd Radar Bomb Scoring Squadron at Birmingham Municipal Airport was alerted to track the object. A pilot from an inbound cargo flight also reported seeing a bright streak in the sky. A second witness, a woman from Birmingham Southern College, independently reported seeing three unidentified flying objects around midnight and initially believed they were shooting stars.

The Air Force investigated by gathering weather data and consulting with local experts. The 26th Weather Squadron reported that on the night in question, the Birmingham sky was clear with calm winds. More significantly, a professor of astronomy from Birmingham Southern College confirmed that a meteor shower was visible that night, with meteorites appearing overhead between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. central time. He noted that meteorites are especially numerous during this time of year.

The Air Force's evaluation, recorded on the case summary card, concluded the sightings were "probably balloon," though a secondary assessment noted they could "possibly" be balloon or astronomical phenomena. The file indicates the Air Force considered the most likely explanation to be natural causes, specifically the meteor shower that was occurring during the same period as the reports.

The complete case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, spanning 11 pages of declassified records.