Houlton, MaineJanuary 1953

On January 29, 1953, two pilots and a radar observer in F-84 fighter jets spotted a gray, saucer-shaped object near Houlton, Maine. The object appeared roughly the size of a dime and hung stationary in the sky about 20,000 feet above the aircraft. The pilots were flying at 23,000 feet and traveling at 325 knots (about 375 miles per hour) when the pilot of the lead aircraft first noticed the object straight ahead. He pointed it out repeatedly to his radar observer until the observer spotted it too.

The crews attempted to intercept and get a closer look at the object. They chased it for approximately three minutes at a speed of Mach 0.8, traveling northeast about forty miles from the St. John River, but could not close the distance. The object made no sudden movements. It was dark gray, well-defined in outline, and showed no signs of propulsion, exhaust, or any visible structural details like windows or portholes. Eventually the pilots broke off the chase due to low fuel reserves.

The Air Force conducted follow-up investigation. Intelligence officers noted in a formal report that pilots' conversations overheard at the radar station included comments about the object's unusual appearance. An earlier radar report stating that the radar was not detecting the F-84s proved inaccurate. A subsequent check revealed that radar was indeed tracking both aircraft in the area. The file also notes that investigators considered whether the object might have been a balloon, but concluded that the object's course did not match wind patterns at various altitudes.

The Air Force rated this case as unknown. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, totaling 16 scanned pages.