TUCSON, ARIZONASeptember 1952

On September 17, 1952, two civilians in Tucson, Arizona watched two separate groups of unidentified objects pass slowly over the Tucson Mountains. The first group of three objects appeared around 11:38 a.m., and the second group of three appeared two minutes later. The witness who had on dark, polarized sunglasses could see the objects for longer than his wife, who wore no glasses. Both said the objects were flat and bright white, arranged in a delta formation (pointing shape). The objects moved slowly and in a straight line.

According to the witnesses' report, a B-50 bomber (a large military transport plane) crossed underneath their line of sight to the objects during the second sighting. By comparing the bomber's size to the formation, the witnesses estimated the group of three objects was about one-quarter as long as the B-50. Neither formation made noise or left exhaust trails, though any sound from the objects during the second sighting would have been masked by the passing bomber. The first group traveled on a northwest course, while the second group moved southwest but slower than any airplane. Both formations seemed to fade from view as they traveled, rather than vanish suddenly.

The location where the observers stood was northwest of the Tucson Mountains. The sighting occurred in clear weather with good visibility. The Air Force took the report seriously and collected identifying information on the witnesses, who were described as being of good character and sincere in their account. One was a salesman for Empire Craft Corporation who was also a part-time student at the University of Arizona. The other was his wife. Both were judged to be reliable observers, though neither had previous experience of similar sightings or any training that would qualify them as technical observers.

The Air Force investigated the sighting but found no physical evidence. The investigation file notes that the objects appeared below the skyline of the mountains, which helped witnesses judge their distance and movement. Diagram number 2 was included to show the exact location where the formations were observed relative to the peaks of the mountain range. The case file included weather data from the time of sighting, showing clear skies, 35 miles visibility, and calm wind conditions. The full case file of 20 pages is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.