PASCAGOOLA MISS, October 1952October 1952

On the evening of October 1, 1952, near Pascagoula, Mississippi, a homemaker witnessed an unusual object in the sky. At approximately 1940 hours (7:40 p.m.) CST, she saw a round, milky-white object that resembled a basketball held at arm's length. The object remained stationary for about five to ten minutes, then began to move. As it traveled across the sky in a smooth circular path toward the west-southwest, it changed from a round shape to an oblong shape. The object eventually moved toward the northeast and faded from sight. The witness observed the object for approximately twenty-two minutes. She noted no sound, trail, or exhaust coming from the object and estimated it was traveling at an extremely fast speed.

A second witness, a newspaper editor, saw the same object during the same time period. He was driving when his companion pointed out a small, oblong object in the sky. This witness confirmed that the object changed from circular to oblong as it moved across the sky from west to east, shifting toward the northeast. He heard a loud blast but detected no trail or exhaust. His observation lasted approximately two to three minutes. A third witness also provided a statement corroborating the sighting.

The Air Force investigation included detailed questionnaires sent to the witnesses and a weather report for the area. The weather officer documented winds aloft conditions for the night of the sighting. The file lists the conclusion as "probably balloon," though the OCR text does not clearly show the reasoning behind this determination. The Air Force received and responded to the reports, requesting completed observer questionnaires to standardize the data and maintain a complete record.

This case file consists of 26 pages as held by the National Archives.