HASSLEHOLM, SWEDEN, December 1953December 1953

On the afternoon of December 17, 1953, Captain A. of the Trans Air Sweden company was piloting a DC-3 passenger aircraft near Hassleholm, Sweden, when he spotted a shining metallic object moving toward him. The object was spherical or slightly elliptical in shape and traveling at high speed in the opposite direction from his plane. It passed about 600 meters below his aircraft and remained visible for only six to seven seconds total. The captain's mechanic, Ole Johansson, watched it for a few seconds longer as it disappeared beneath them.

The captain described the object as clearly metallic with a silvery shine. It flew in a straight line without leaving any smoke, exhaust, or condensation trail. What struck him most was how symmetrical and uniform it appeared. The captain had considerable aviation experience, having flown combat missions in World War II and logging some thirty raids over North Africa and Italy. He stated plainly that whatever he had seen was something entirely new to him, possibly an unmanned robot. He ruled out jet aircraft, meteors, and other conventional explanations. The weather that day was clear and sunny, making visibility excellent.

The Swedish Defense Staff issued a brief public statement confirming that the object had been observed by the aircraft crew, that it was unknown, and that no Swedish military aircraft had been in the area at the time. They announced they were investigating, including checking radar station records. However, officials acknowledged that radar traces from the area would be difficult to sort out because of heavy civilian air traffic over that region.

Intelligence officers who prepared reports on the incident noted that the captain was highly regarded as a pilot within Swedish aviation circles, though his background also included some controversial incidents. The Swedish newspapers and military commentators offered various explanations, ranging from a Soviet missile to a radio-guided reconnaissance device with a television camera. The Swedish General Staff staff reportedly treated the captain and mechanic as credible witnesses based on their professional standing.

The U.S. Air Force classified the object as unidentified. The full case file of 9 pages is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.