Coast of Greenland 77 N, 75 degrees 15, W, August 1952August 1952

Insufficient Data

Summary

On August 29, 1952, two naval pilots flying a P2V-2 patrol aircraft observed three white, disk-shaped objects near the coast of Greenland. The pilots were on a cosmic balloon tracking flight, flying at 10,000 feet about 150 knots per hour. When the cosmic balloon released its instrument package at roughly 74,000 feet, the three objects suddenly appeared nearby in a triangular formation. The pilots estimated the objects were slightly smaller than the cosmic balloon itself.

The objects remained in formation relative to the balloon for about two to three minutes. The pilot in command, LTJC W.A. O'Flaherty, watched them from the cabin while LTJC R.S. Moore observed them through the aircraft's astro-dome (a transparent dome used for celestial navigation). The two officers discussed the sighting over the aircraft's internal communication system. O'Flaherty lost sight of the objects when they passed between the aircraft and the sun. Moore reported that the objects then accelerated rapidly and disappeared in about 10 seconds, suggesting a speed well in excess of the speed of sound. Neither pilot observed any exhaust, trail, or means of propulsion.

The pilots immediately radioed the nearby icebreaker to ask how many objects had been intentionally released from the balloon. The icebreaker replied that only one instrument package had been released, not three. The weather was clear with unlimited visibility above 8,500 feet. Both officers held extensive flight experience, were Naval Academy graduates, and were considered highly reliable by their commanding officer.

The Air Force evaluated the sighting as "probably balloon" despite the pilots' account of three objects behaving in ways inconsistent with balloons. The file notes that the explanation "apparently eliminates this is the fact that the 3 objects ere seen by two observers at different positions in the PLY" (astro-dome position and pilot's seat position), yet concludes the objects may have been optical effects caused by sunlight reflecting off the cosmic balloon.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, 15 pages.

Reported location

Coast of Greenland 77 N, 75 degrees 15, W, August 1952

Date of incident

August 1952

State / country

? / XX

Page count

15 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 15

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