CEDAR KEYS, FLA., January 1952January 1952

On January 15, 1952, a B-29 bomber crew flying near Cedar Keys, Florida observed a large blue-green fireball descending toward the ground at high speed. The aircraft was cruising at 25,000 feet, about 15 miles northeast of Cedar Keys Bombing Range, when three crew members spotted the object approximately 30 degrees above and to the left of their heading. The fireball glowed from what appeared to be internal combustion and left a tail estimated at 150 feet long as it fell.

The object descended directly toward the ground and seemed to explode when it reached about 5 degrees above the horizon. The force of the explosion appeared to push downward, and the object then faded from sight. The entire sighting lasted about three seconds. The crew noted that the object traveled faster than a freely falling object would, and appeared much closer and brighter than falling stars or meteors. No sound was reported.

The three observers were experienced Air Force pilots. Aircraft Commander Joseph T. Gordon had 16 years of flying experience and was described by investigators as very conscientious and cooperative. Each officer insisted the object had no connection to meteorological or astronomical activity. Notably, Gordon reported having seen the same type of phenomenon twice before in late 1948 while flying a C-47 between Denver and Albuquerque, both times at 12,000 feet. In those incidents as well, the objects had upward trajectories and burst several thousand feet above the aircraft.

The Air Force's investigation found no physical evidence and drew no definitive conclusion. A follow-up memo from the Air Force noted that this observation was typical of the "green fireball class" of unidentified objects. The Cambridge Research Laboratory had been investigating similar phenomena for two years without reaching any conclusions, and the Air Force continued collecting data on this type of sighting. The complete case file, comprising seven pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.