ORLANDO, FLORIDAAugust 1952

Unidentified

Summary

On August 5, 1952, multiple witnesses in the Orlando, Florida area reported seeing a bright, silver, ball-shaped object moving at extraordinary speeds over the city. The sightings occurred between 7:00 a.m. and 10:10 a.m. and lasted three to ten minutes each time the object appeared.

The object was described as solid silver with no visible exhaust or audible sound. Witnesses estimated its diameter to be slightly smaller than a T-33 aircraft. The object would hover motionless at around 5,000 feet altitude, then suddenly accelerate to a very high rate of speed and disappear toward the main section of Orlando. This pattern repeated several times over the three-hour period. Just before it accelerated, the object appeared to glow as though from intense heat.

Multiple civilian observers reported seeing the same object. Two witnesses on top of a hotel in downtown Orlando described the object's movement and appearance in detail that matched the earlier reports. At the time of the sightings, visibility was unlimited with a 7/10 coverage of cumulus clouds. No aircraft from nearby bases reported seeing the object, and no photographs were taken.

The Air Force investigated the reports by checking with local air traffic control and other military installations in the region. Aircraft from Pinecastle Air Force Base were flying in the vicinity, but their pilots reported nothing unusual. The investigation found no evidence to explain the sightings, and the full case file of 58 pages is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.

Reported location

ORLANDO, FLORIDA

Date of incident

August 1952

State / country

FL / US

Page count

58 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unidentified

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 13

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