Bryan AFB, TexasJune 1955

Unidentified

Summary

Three weather officers at Bryan Air Force Base in Texas reported seeing an unusual glowing object circling the base in the early morning hours of June 15, 1955. The sighting lasted roughly 30 minutes, though each observer saw the object only in brief intervals of about 30 seconds to three minutes, separated by 10-minute gaps when it disappeared from view.

The object appeared cylindrical in shape and was brightly illuminated with a white glow. Observers estimated it was traveling at speeds between 500 and 700 miles per hour and flying at an altitude around 30,000 feet. One witness, a weather forecaster, said the object was about the size of a B-36 aircraft or a quarter held at arm's length when viewed from the ground. The object made a circular flight path over the base, changing direction multiple times, and made no sound or smoke. The night was clear, dark, and warm, with temperatures around 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

The investigating officer, 1st Lieutenant Dean S. Jameson, conducted checks with civilian and military aviation authorities, the Civil Aeronautics Administration, and local airports. All returned negative results for aircraft or balloons in the area. However, the investigation revealed that Bryan Air Force Base had released a weather balloon (a rawinsonde, used to measure upper-atmosphere conditions) about 30 minutes before the sighting. The officer concluded that winds aloft and tracking data for the balloon matched the observed flight path. The officer also noted that rawinsonde balloons can be visible to the naked eye at high altitudes when illuminated, and that the light attached to the balloon's suspension train could appear to flicker or oscillate, explaining why the object seemed to disappear and reappear. The approving officer concurred, concluding the sighting was probably caused by the released balloon. The full case file, comprising 12 pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.

Reported location

Bryan AFB, Texas

Date of incident

June 1955

State / country

TX / US

Page count

12 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unidentified

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 23

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 12

View transcribed text

: trae PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD |
BA ——————————————————————————————————
| I. DATE
: Ho 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS |
. WM June 1955 Bryan AWB, Texas oO ib 00
J at oem ro
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION 0 Possibly Balloon
’ Bis: STA idle See “8 Ground- Visual 0 Ground-Radar 8 bBo fgp h
. emt 03007 June 1955 0 AirVisvol 0 Air-Intercept Rad 0 Possibly Areva
5. PHOTOS ” soUReE—— —————————— TT
| O Yes o a
r
| a No Military ) Possibly Streamed
| 7. LENGTH OP OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE 0, Other |
Hes 0" Insufficient Data for Eveluatior
| wo ofnervels over 30 min peril One (1) renter path pigf0 Gere fs ot
| 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING ET Res
oy Investigated Micht OuT THEY le SN
: weather observer, forecaster, and dispatcher i Poul ou iy esi 2-D, 4602d AISS pith
BY Bren BFE Govan ated & cytinfeton) object balloon vas seleced bony br nsonds
ik . : ical object balloon was releas=d fr r R ;
circling the base at an estimated speed of the a We wid om Bryan AFB at
| 600 MPH. The object seemed complete 11 SIP End Ses, ot Bighting, Winds
i luninated with a white glow. See AF Form 112 seun | i she Ui Age ili
: on this case for a deta: SATAY SE eC Te vas cubervers |
sighting. detailed summary of Baw this balloon. |

: Resolved by this hg 26 probably balloon
] "ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 8EP 82)

E woe EEE UFCB INDEX CARD 37188.UF0B=175=55
Smad BATION [2 CONCLUSIONS |
3 7 £ Was Balloon
3 +4 June 1963 Bryan AFB, Texas . rd Soles |
J 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4 TYPE OF OBSERVATION 0 Possi | Y oon
| J TY Pe A Ground-Visual O Ground-Radar a Probably Airerof? |
| owr_18/0%002 June 1956 | oD AicViwe 0 Alvintercep’ Racer Tey mn |
4 5. PROTOS . | 6. SOURCE : O Was Astronomical |
TE on | | Ly eed |
1 B No | Mili S/o : |
: 9. COURSE RTI Ee dd de dwaelisini ra.
i 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION NE HUMAE RO ini 0 Te Cmrmen Data for Evaluation
4 nd a period : path O Unknown
1 At intervals over 30 Wimute | One (1) | Ciroular flight |
i 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS | |
EL i
1 Teather observer, forscaster, and dispatcher Investigated by Flight 2-D, 46024 AISS |
1 at Bryan AFB, Texas noted a oylindriocal object| with the following conclusions: A
2 circling the base at an sstimated speed of rawinsonds balloon was relasassd from |
3 500 MPH. The object seemed completely 1il= Bryan AFB at the approzimate time of |
1 luninated with a white glow. See AF Form 112 sizhting. Winds aloft and “rackings |
. on this case for a detailed summary of sight eo of this balloon Sesm io indicate that
x the observers saw this balloon
Gi Resolved by this hq as probably |
/ 244000 ¢ |
{ AISOP Form 5 (15 Oct 54) ey

/ 12

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28962375