Charlotte Islands, Canda, August 1959August 1959

On August 28, 1959, military crews flying over the Charlotte Islands, Canada, reported seeing a mysterious object on radar and through visual observation. The sighting lasted about 25 minutes and was investigated by the U.S. Air Force.

Multiple B-52 bomber crews reported the incident as they flew their route. A radar operator on one aircraft picked up an unidentified blip on his scope at a distance of 12,300 yards. Another crew spotted a rotating red beacon light through their window that appeared to be attached to an aircraft with no navigation or recognition lights. According to the gunner who saw it, the object looked somewhat smaller than a B-52. The two observations matched up in location, suggesting they were tracking the same thing. The radar target moved in and out of range over the course of the encounter, at one point closing to within about one mile of the bomber before disappearing from the radar scope.

The Air Force gathered detailed statements from the pilots and crew members involved. They also obtained radar film from the incident. When Air Force analysts reviewed the radar footage, they concluded that the blips on the film looked like ordinary radar returns. They agreed with the assessment that the sighting was likely caused by another aircraft, though the file does not specify which aircraft or provide a definitive identification.

The complete case file, as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below in its 21 scanned pages.