Rome, GeorgiaApril 1955

Insufficient Data

Summary

A father and his nine-year-old son watching the sky near Rome, Georgia, in April 1955 saw what looked like a conventional aircraft pass overhead. As the plane flew away, the father thought he saw two flaming objects separate from it, one from each wing tip, and move in different directions.

The Air Force investigated by checking with Flight 3-C, a military training unit that was conducting break-up maneuvers over Rome on the same day and time as the sighting. The investigation revealed that the family had probably observed aircraft performing these practice maneuvers, which can look dramatic and unusual if you do not expect them. The break-ups involve controlled separations of multiple aircraft in formation, which could easily create the impression of flames or objects shooting away from a single plane.

The Air Force evaluated this case as "unknown," meaning the investigators could not firmly confirm what the witnesses saw, though they had a working theory.

The complete case file from Project Blue Book is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, consisting of 16 pages of scanned documents.

Reported location

Rome, Georgia

Date of incident

April 1955

State / country

GA / US

Page count

16 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 23

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 16

View transcribed text

| CoN ;
bo : | ( PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD |
gy 1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS |
: | 0 Was Balloon |
y a Nae. Reme, GEweeds 8 Tyeudlly Letesh |
9 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION 0 Possibly Balloon |
| ; LEW il Bad a i a ies HXGround- Visual 0 Ground-Radar GLX Probably Alveraft
E _ oMt_01/01107 May shi 0 Air-Vi sual 0 Air-Intercept Radar 0 Possibly Airceaft
: L 5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE 00 Was Astronomical
i 4 O Yes O Probably Astronomical
| ] LT a Civilian de 0D Possibly Astronomical
i 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE [7 ROTH cin Sa Se i
3 O Insufficient Data for Evaluation
i : to 0 Unknown
4 LL APDEGE LVL NaNuses |. two northwest oo
1 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 1). COMMENTS
i Father and nine year old son observe Investigation by flight 3-C
{ aircraft of conventional type passin reveals there was a flight of
E overhead, As plane flew away two flaming//four a/c practicing break-
3 objects appeared to separate from th ups over Rome during the time
a/c, one in each direction from the of sighting. Probably the
4 wing tips. observers noted the above menti
j oned a/c.
5 ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)
[ PER TER RAS UH A AAR el) CHOBE : : ”

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28961872