Pope AFB, N. Carolina, November 1958November 1958

Insufficient Data

Summary

On November 3, 1958, between about 9:03 p.m. and 9:23 p.m., military observers at the air traffic control tower at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, reported an object. They watched it with binoculars.

The object was round, about the size of a grapefruit, and bluish-white. It varied in intensity. The tower personnel noticed it on what looked like a collision course with a KB-50 tanker in the traffic pattern. The object passed overhead, circled back, then climbed in altitude until it disappeared to the southeast. It was in view about 20 minutes. The pilot of the tanker reported strange lights in his cockpit during his final approach. A camera in the tower was not used in time, and the object was gone when it was ready.

The weather was clear with thin broken clouds and winds from the west to the north. The Air Force concluded the object was a balloon. The record notes the balloon description and wind direction matched this analysis.

Reported location

Pope AFB, N. Carolina, November 1958

Date of incident

November 1958

State / country

? / XX

Page count

3 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 34

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 3

View transcribed text

| : -
iS ; {
: PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD |
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
‘0 Wos Balloon |
3. Nnvambapr 164 13) yap PF Onmol ing 0 EroBabEy Balloon |
CL SAREE FRE BE AS, ef U Eel IEEE SE BA SERINE IEEE IESE RA LS LEE RSD SCRE b SEE TAR aT TA TELE ES AS SSeS $
3. DATE-TIME GROUP | 3. TYPE OF GASERVATION DO Possibly Bolloon
i ! i 0 Was Aircraft |
Elo'ealioad: shinies Divhivwgeio/ pl iis cb io LES Ground: Viana! SH BO Ground-Rodar Q Probably Aircraft
\ FaTs Va Relay 10 iol Lely t 8
GNU 2 Se Mp SAG Uden? | 0 Air Visual 0 Air-Intercept Radar O Possibly Aircraft
5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE 1 Was Astronomical
O Yes 0 Probably Astronomical
Go if) Bel ep a OD Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF.0OBSERYATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE E155: Og hg protests Cots Ra KS Bk IC NES [Fy
0 Insufficient Data for Evaluation i
; 0D Unknown
20 minutes | 01123 i OL rising :
: 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS
Round, bluish white obj, size of Balloon description & wind dis;
graperrulfe yerying in intensity, section qonform to this analysis.
Noticed on-collision course w/a/c.
Passed overhead & circled to raturn,
then climbed until disappearance in
SH Pilot of a/c -rptd strane lights
In his cockpit, Winds fm: WW to Ni,
ATIC FORM 325 (REV 26 SEP 52) :
EE ES REN ig

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28980939