Webb AFB, TexasAugust 1952

Unidentified

Summary

On August 17, 1952, Captain James H. Perry was flying an Air Force T-6 trainer aircraft from Dallas to Webb Air Force Base near Big Spring, Texas, when he spotted an unusual object in the sky. Perry was an experienced pilot with roughly 6,000 hours of flying time, including 1,200 hours in military aircraft. He had been flying since 1935 and was currently serving as a squadron commander.

The sighting occurred at 1649 hours (4:49 p.m.) while Perry was cruising at 8,000 feet altitude on a heading of 245 degrees. The object appeared approximately one and a half miles to his right, off his heading, at an estimated altitude of 15,000 feet. Perry described it as oblong in shape, bright and highly polished like metal reflecting sunlight, and slightly smaller than a B-25 bomber. The object had no visible wings or rudder. Perry observed it for only three to four seconds as it climbed away from him through scattered clouds. During this brief time, he estimated it traveled roughly thirty miles and climbed at approximately 2,000 feet per minute. Perry guessed its speed exceeded 500 miles per hour on a heading of 275 degrees. There was no smoke trail, no sound, and no excessive static on his radio. The object moved in a straight line with no change in direction.

Perry immediately reported the sighting to Abilene Radio, which then notified El Paso and Fort Worth radio stations of the approximate heading, speed, and other details. At the time of the sighting, the weather was clear with unlimited visibility, and winds were from 160 degrees at 12 knots. Two Navy jet aircraft had passed near Perry about ten minutes earlier, and he had also encountered a civilian Lockheed Hudson and a B-25 en route. Perry was flying to the right of the civil airway in the twilight zone.

The Air Force evaluation form lists the conclusion as "Unknown," along with secondary notations of "Probably Balloon" and "Possibly Astronomical." The file does not provide an explanation for these alternative conclusions or a final determination of what the object was.

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

Reported location

Webb AFB, Texas

Date of incident

August 1952

State / country

TX / US

Page count

9 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unidentified

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 14

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