Project Blue Book Case File
Gulf Of Mexico, January 1960January 1960
Summary
On January 13, 1960, an aircraft flying over the Gulf of Mexico detected an unidentified object on radar. The plane's radar picked up the object at an estimated distance of 60 nautical miles, tracking it as it approached on a collision course. The object appeared to be flying at 10,000 to 14,000 miles per hour at an altitude of 38,000 feet, with a heading of 60 degrees. The aircraft, itself traveling at 440 knots, initially spotted the object 20 degrees off its inbound track. After passing the aircraft, the object appeared again on a second radar set and was tracked for six seconds, disappearing at 9,000 yards away. The total observation lasted 13 seconds.
The Air Force investigated the incident and consulted with radio astronomers at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. These experts considered the possibility that the radar blip was caused by anomalous propagation, a phenomenon in which radio waves scatter off atmospheric layers. A key question became whether the radars had actually recorded distance measurements to the object. The investigators also learned that no other aircraft were in the area and that the object was not detected by ground radar stations. No meteorological inversion was reported for the time and location.
The investigation notes indicate there was interference from within the aircraft itself, which may have contributed to the radar return. The Air Force concluded the sighting was "probably balloon," though the case file shows ongoing questions about whether the radar signal was truly from a physical object or from an atmospheric scattering effect. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, spanning eleven pages.
Reported location
Gulf Of Mexico, January 1960
Date of incident
January 1960
State / country
? / XX
Page count
11 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unknown
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 37