Washington D. C., May 1952May 1952

Insufficient Data

Summary

On May 13, 1952, at 2135 (9:35 p.m.), a Navy ensign and three other people reported a saucer like object over the Washington, D.C., area. The main witness described a goldish orange object with no visible exhaust. It was circular and looked saucer like in thickness.

The witness said the object flew due south in level flight and vanished before reaching the horizon. He watched it for about 10 to 15 seconds and said it was extremely fast. He and the others were certain it was not a searchlight reflection on clouds. In a follow up, he described a soft glow, an oval shape as if a tilted disc, and a sense of spinning, while still vanishing 20 to 30 degrees above the horizon.

Other observers gave somewhat different accounts because they stood at different levels, one at street level and one on a roof. The Air Force record card notes balloons were launched in the area at 0300 (3:00 a.m.), but said the object was too fast unless a balloon was very low. The card lists the color as yellowish gold and the shape as oval. The file does not give a firm final conclusion.

Reported location

Washington D. C., May 1952

Date of incident

May 1952

State / country

? / XX

Page count

13 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 10

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 13

View transcribed text

] PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 5
. s ' ¢ LY
E | | 1. DATE " - 5, : 2. LOCATION (4 . 12. CONCLUSIONS"
A) May 1952 : Washington D, C, O Vos Balloon
fer bb eR ie diane iii cai Lc O Probably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION 0 Possibly Balloon
.. Local TE ARE & Ground- Visual O Ground-Rodar = oo f
& 17. ance 4 a vi i eh
- GMT. 0 BEE O Air Visvol i 0 Air-Intercept Rador esINy Mrerent
© |'s. PHOTOS SI RY © YR 0 Wes Astronomicel M =D)
f O Yes O Probebly Astronomical
3 i No Naval officers and 3 other pcoflcPossibly Astronomical
of 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE CA RL aT
: . D Insufficient Dota for Evaluation
: ' 2 Unknown
10 sce 1
4 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING . 11. COMMENTS
: Mfone=-3alloons launched in area at 0300 2, Object would have been 5-6" diamcter |
3 but object was too fast unless balloon Covered 60° 70° of sky and disappeared
: was very low, ato 20°-30°, |
X Co.or; Yellowish*gold ’ £, Ti :
E Shape: Oval ’ Maneuvers: Straight and level
1 © ATIC YORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52) ;

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28942160