Boston, MassachusettsApril 1950

Unidentified

Summary

On the night of April 7, 1950, around 9:55 p.m., a control tower watch supervisor at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, reported a strange light. He saw a deep blue light due west of the tower and focused binoculars on it. Through the glasses it had no clear shape and looked like a blurred oval of light. It moved from southwest to northeast at what seemed a normal aircraft speed, about 15 degrees above the horizon. He called other controllers, who confirmed what he saw.

The supervisor said the light changed from blue to white, then back to blue, and seemed to split into two blue lights that revolved around each other. The lights rose from about 15 to 45 degrees above the horizon. At one point an object showed a definite mass, glowing red like molten metal for about 10 to 15 seconds. Checks with nearby towers found no matching traffic, and a pilot asked to look saw nothing unusual. The whole event lasted about 20 minutes.

The Air Force record (Project 10073, its official file for unidentified flying object reports) concluded the sighting was caused by inversion effects, ice clouds, and thin cirrus clouds distorting natural or man made lights.

Reported location

Boston, Massachusetts

Date of incident

April 1950

State / country

MA / US

Page count

3 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unidentified

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 7

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 3

View transcribed text

BR LR CNS LTA A MIRAI MIMI SrA DTT 1557 ry RW ye Jy [ .
\
| |
N PROJECT 10073 RECORD
I. DATE - TIME GROUP LOCATION
7 April 1950 08/02552 Besten, Massachusetts
3. SOURCE * |10. CONCLUSION
Civilian : Other(Inversien effects)
Sa —— Ice clouds and thin cirrus cleuds, Distortion ef natural
One | phenomena/l1ights from unknown source, (Stellar, A/C or ground 1
S. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION [11 BRIEF SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS lights
20 minutes " Blue light in the west ebserved by tower eperater through
Binoculars, No shape visible, just a light, Blurred edges.
6. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Movement from SE te NE at speed of conventienal A/C, Celer
ground visual changed from Blus to White, Changed back to blue and separated
7. COURSE inte two distinct blue lights, These twe lights rotated around
2 "each other, Increawed elevation from 15 degrees at initial
varddd, sighting to 45 deg elevatiem o Ice clouds ard inversion in gre
8. PHOTOS :
0 Yes | : : »
No
9. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE E d
0 Yes . g y
- & Neo :
FORM
FTD sep 63 0-329 (TDE) previous editions of this form may be used. ol :
ee aman CE E— |
‘ ’ 2 ike DEAR PC SEY iio 4 M i .

/ 3

Use ← → keys to navigate · scans hosted by the U.S. National Archives

Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28937779