Selfridge AFB, Mich., March 1950March 1950

Insufficient Data

Summary

On the night of March 9, 1950, radar operators at Selfridge Air Force Base in Michigan detected an unusual object on their radar scopes. First Lieutenant Francis B. Parker and First Lieutenant Frank K. Mattson, both experienced radar controllers, observed what they called an unidentified "blip" that behaved in ways the officers found remarkable. The object appeared at very high altitudes, sometimes around 45,000 feet, and seemed to move with extreme speed and sudden changes in direction.

What made this sighting stand out was that two separate radar systems picked it up. One radar set detected the object at a high altitude before the other system saw it, which the operators noted made logical sense based on how the equipment worked. The object seemed to hover in place for periods of time, then suddenly accelerate. During a six-minute window when Parker was able to track the target clearly on both his radar scopes simultaneously, he recorded its position and altitude every minute. The readings showed the object moving erratically, changing altitude by thousands of feet within seconds and shifting its range from 45 miles to 87 miles in just a few minutes. Based on these recordings, the officers estimated speeds that would have exceeded 1,300 miles per hour.

Technical experts at Continental Air Command headquarters reviewed the case and concluded that the observations did not fit known explanations. They ruled out atmospheric effects that sometimes created false radar signals, noting that the two radar systems operated on very different radio frequencies and would not be fooled in the same way by such effects. The experts also stated that no known aircraft could perform the extreme maneuvers reported. They noted that the object's ability to remain stationary in the air and to change altitude so rapidly exceeded the capability of any known heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air vehicle. However, the experts acknowledged that without detailed weather data and complete radar coverage maps for the specific area, a fully conclusive evaluation was not possible.

The Air Force evaluation of this case is listed as "unknown." The full case file, comprising 10 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.

Reported location

Selfridge AFB, Mich., March 1950

Date of incident

March 1950

State / country

? / XX

Page count

10 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 7

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 10

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28937545