Goose AB, Labrador, December 1952December 1952

On December 15, 1952, pilots of an F-94 fighter jet and a T-33 training aircraft spotted an unidentified object near Goose Air Base in Labrador. The object appeared bright red and white, had no definite shape, and showed no signs of engine exhaust or propulsion. The pilots watched it for about 25 minutes as it moved across the sky between 14,000 and 24,000 feet altitude.

The F-94 pilot tried to intercept the object, flying at 375 knots (a fast speed for the era), but could not catch up despite violent maneuvering. A ground radar unit reported a momentary contact with an unknown target that faded from the scope after roughly one minute. Two other transport aircraft, C-54s, were in the area at the time, but investigators ruled out the possibility that either one was the object. A weather balloon may have been released from the base two hours before the sighting, though the timing made this explanation uncertain.

The Air Force file notes that the investigators found the case puzzling. The object's speed and maneuverability seemed inconsistent with known aircraft, balloons, or astronomical phenomena. The file concludes that "a plausible explanation for this sighting seems to be impossible." On the official form, the object was initially classified as unknown, though the evaluation was later marked as probable radar malfunction and the visual sighting as Venus. No physical evidence was recovered.

The full case file, consisting of 45 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.