Tucson, ArizonaApril 1953

On the evening of April 15, 1953, a radar operator and his wife observed four separate bright lights over Tucson, Arizona. The sightings took place between 9:45 p.m. and 10:10 p.m. from their home at 2957 East 17th Street. The observer was a 24-year-old sergeant with three years of radar experience in the Navy and seven years of Air Force service. He described the first light as orange-red and traveling from north to south at extremely high altitude before making a sharp turn to the northwest and slowing down before the turn. The second sighting, also orange-red and brighter than the first, arrived from the north but turned northwest before traveling as far south. The observer tried to photograph both objects with his camera using 15-second exposures, but the film came back blank due to the high speed and short exposure times. The third light was described as bluish and blinking, moving at very high speed and making a 430-degree turn before disappearing. The fourth sighting was orange and bright like the second, heading northwest for about 30 seconds.

The Air Force investigation noted that Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Operations confirmed a C-46 aircraft had departed the base at 9:59 p.m. heading to Travis Air Force Base in California on a northwest heading. The observer's wife saw two aircraft on a northwesterly heading at 10:02 p.m., which matched this known flight. However, the four unidentified lights observed on orange and bluish colors at different times and altitudes could not be connected to this known aircraft activity.

Weather conditions at the time were favorable for observation. The sky was clear at 9:30 p.m., with a temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The observer estimated the objects were traveling at speeds exceeding 400 miles per hour and were at distances between 10,000 and 100,000 feet away. In his written statement, he noted that despite his extensive experience observing aircraft, he had never seen anything like these objects. He suggested they might be "something similar to the flying saucer" or "a very advanced version" of one. The Air Force's conclusion stated that the observations were "regarded as an aircraft," though no positive identification was made.

The full case file, containing 15 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.