Project Blue Book Case File
Ontario, CaliforniaAugust 1952
Summary
On August 22, 1952, at about 1500 (3:00 p.m.) Pacific time, a 19 year old private pilot near Ontario, California, reported an unidentified object. He was flying a Cessna 140 that had left El Monte Airport at 1450 (2:50 p.m.), bound for Cable Field at Claremont, California.
Flying at about 3,000 feet on an easterly heading at 105 miles per hour, the pilot got a brief flash view of an object that crossed his flight path about half a mile dead ahead. He said it moved at supersonic speed on a course toward Colton. He reported severe turbulence when the two flight paths crossed.
A radar squadron had a track of an object in the area reported as multi engine, very high, at 1509 (3:09 p.m.), but radar did not detect the object or the Cessna at the time of the close pass. Investigators found the pilot's account truthful, though he could not give a detailed image. The file does not state a final conclusion.
Reported location
Ontario, California
Date of incident
August 1952
State / country
CA / US
Page count
11 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unidentified
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 14