South Carolina-Puerto Rico, January 1962January 1962

On January 29, 1962, multiple witnesses across South Carolina and Puerto Rico reported an unusual object in the sky during twilight hours. The sightings were reported from aircraft in flight, a naval vessel, military personnel on the ground, and an air base tower. All of the events occurred over a span of about twenty minutes, starting at 2335 (11:35 p.m.) UTC.

The most detailed account came from Captain Ronald L. Widner, a U.S. Air Force pilot flying a B-57E aircraft at 36,000 feet between Baltimore and Gordonsville, Virginia. At approximately 2330 UTC, Widner observed what he initially thought was a normal contrail (the vapor trail left behind by aircraft) at his altitude, approaching him on a reciprocal heading. As the object moved closer to his position at 1:00 o'clock, he noticed something unusual. The contrail expanded into a massive, flounder-shaped cloud. Within that cloud, a bright point of light grew intensely bright and developed a large halo around it. The object resembled a comet with a streaming tail. Widner watched it for about ten minutes as it climbed, reaching its highest elevation when it was at his 9:00 o'clock position in the direction of Richmond, Virginia. The object then turned more easterly and continued to climb away from him, becoming harder to see in the fading twilight.

Other witnesses reported seeing an intense light in the sky during the same period. Aircraft in flight over Puerto Rico reported the light to the north and northwest of their positions. At Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico, tower personnel spotted the light to the northwest, moving southeast. A merchant vessel at coordinates 32.6 degrees north latitude and 67.5 degrees west longitude reported seeing a globular object that resembled a cluster of flashing lights with a luminous haze trailing behind it. The object remained visible for about three minutes. Ground personnel at a submarine base in Puerto Rico, numbering at least twelve men, observed what they described as a group of "L" shaped lights. The object had two flashing lights and was encircled by a halo-type cloud. The phenomenon faded from view at 2342 (11:42 p.m.) UTC.

According to the case file, the Air Force's Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that the sightings were consistent with AFMTC Test 119/1, a confirmed test conducted during the observed time period. This designation suggests the Air Force attributed the sightings to a military missile test.

The full case file, comprising 21 pages held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.