San Antonio, TexasFebruary 1953

On the night of February 26 and 27, 1953, military personnel at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas observed one or more bright lights moving rapidly across the sky. The first sighting occurred around 2345 (11:45 p.m.) on February 26. A lieutenant who had just finished his shift saw a light moving eastward over the base at what appeared to be very high altitude. He described it as slightly larger than an ordinary star with an orange tint, similar to the exhaust from a B-25 bomber running a rich fuel mixture. The object made no sound and climbed until it vanished from sight.

Minutes later, the same or a similar object reappeared, this time traveling southwest at a lower altitude and faster speed. The lieutenant and a group of airmen he encountered stopped to watch it cross the sky in silence before it disappeared. The witnesses estimated speeds between 500 and 900 miles per hour. One observer noted the object made a "quivering" motion side to side as it flew, and another reported seeing two objects in formation circling the moon in an oval pattern. The night was exceptionally clear, with calm surface winds and excellent visibility.

The lieutenant initiated a preliminary investigation by contacting Kelly Air Force Base Operations, Austin Flight Service, and Randolph Air Force Base. All reported no unusual aircraft activity in the area at that time. The formal report noted that meteorological conditions or any other natural phenomenon could not account for the sighting, and no physical evidence was recovered. The case file indicates that the Air Force found no explanation for what was observed.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives and consists of 9 pages.