LAREDO AFB TEX, November 1952November 1952

Two control tower operators at Laredo Air Force Base in Texas witnessed an unidentified object on the evening of November 3, 1952. The sighting lasted only two to three seconds.

At 1829 hours (6:29 p.m.), the shift supervisor and a control tower operator, both watching from an open window of the tower, saw a light-colored, elongated object traveling at high speed. The object appeared whitish-gray and roughly football-shaped. It approached the base from the southwest, briefly paused directly south of the airfield, then accelerated and disappeared toward the southeast. The witnesses estimated the object's altitude at approximately 4,000 feet but could not determine its distance from the base. No sound, exhaust, vapor trail, or visible propulsion system was observed.

At the time of the sighting, a T-33 jet aircraft was in the vicinity on approach for landing. The shift supervisor asked the T-33 pilot whether he had seen the object. The pilot reported seeing nothing. Weather conditions at the time were partly cloudy with good visibility. Both witnesses were young airmen with about eighteen months of control tower experience each, and the investigating officer noted they were considered reliable, though no formal evaluation of their credibility was provided in the report.

The file includes sketches of the object and the area around Laredo Air Force Base, as well as witness questionnaires and statements. No physical evidence was collected, and no aircraft matching the description were known to be in the area aside from the T-33 and approximately sixteen T-28 training aircraft. The investigation was marked as unevaluated by the Air Force Intelligence office.

The full case file, consisting of 28 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.