PROJECT BLUE BOOK

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT CASE FILES · 1947 – 1969

CASE REFERENCE6979423

DATE OF SIGHTINGAugust 1953

REPORTED LOCATIONBarksdale AFB Louisiana

FRAMES10

→ Original microfilm scan (PDF) → Return to index

Machine transcription · mean legibility 52.5/100 · engines: tesseract-200dpi

Transcribed Frames

FRAME 001 / 010POOR LEGIBILITY — PENDING RE-EXAMINATION

1. DATE - TIME GROUP

2. LOCATION

4. NUMBER OF OBJECTS

5. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION [11. BRIEF SUMMARY ANO ANALYSIS

-*

6. TYPE OF OBSERVATION mel Gpse th Lovie

9. PRYSICAL EVIDENCE

| Revie] ; »
of toy Aug | [Barks \ale Ai3, las Fireball

FORM
FTD sep 63 0-329 (TDE) previous +t tiens of thie form may de weed,

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Oe ee a SR 9 ON NC ETS REE ET NE SE EE LL, A AY

a ee ee ivtc anal,

FRAME 002 / 010tesseract-200dpi

,
- —

UNCLASSIFIED =‘

AF FORM 112—PART Il lll Seana, agg
APPROVED I JUNE 1948

AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT
LR-3 6-53 ;

,
|
i PAGE 2 oF

FROM (ter eg)

D/Intelli-ence, liq 2AF

as

—_ —_—

‘There was only a very slisht breeze blowing at the time of the observation. This
would seer to rule out the rossibility of the object ceins the weaboor balloon wich
was released at approxinately the same tine as the observation because of the ish fate
of sneed attained by the object while reralleling the surface of the earuh.

’
SD - ‘ a
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' "Lded Ti : L CA Lotee JE ¥
Cantain, USAF
5 . . > . "ae , : ~ ms
i S~OI ate of Inteili eri $4 -

FRAME 003 / 010POOR LEGIBILITY — PENDING RE-EXAMINATION

——
*

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vybisé fo :
JES B355 He

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2UI JED A273 2DK VYA219 + Wu \

JESBA 199N pe il a ie |

MM JEDEN JEDMH JEDWP JEPHO 444

DE JESEA 37

mes

M 1424302 ZNJ . an

ru COMDRAF 2 BARKSDALE A? LA
TO JEPHQ/DIR OF INTEL Wa USAF WASH DC
JEDWP/AIR LUTEL CENTER WIRHGT PATTERSON AFB OHIO
JEDEN/COMDR ADC ENT AFB COLO
JEDMH/COMDRSAC OFFUTT AF3 NEBR

MIs 287168 1547. Fiyosrrt. FoL 1nco on wNIpENTIFIz

FLYING OBJECT SUPMITTED TO THIS OFFICE BY MAJ JACK D SWICKARD, 11439A,
UD IN COMPLIANCE WITH AFL 232-5, YO APR 53: PAR 1. OBJECT APPZARED

een

FINCLASSIFIED

lO BE REDSISH BALL OF FIRE, APRA THREE TIMES SIZE OF LARGE STAR. OBJECT

ee Rew a! “orem ee => -_- * ——- ok. an a “se. alate ta CH ee yy > ~sa Te ASrcrea Tern
a8)! BORD) V ian Y £60 ib AND Lit wi nwmts } Be ~st a2 © ~—- ew Of Vowslvl ad tee ot Wet ke te

_ Ace > .** 7p ~~. =o — \ . bbe “no - ~ ** [fh oe bh Ry ~ *?7 er . > ‘, 7OC y >. =F A Pe he

re J te * we 2 FASTER i ‘Pe Ss | - = AC; : abet a ~~  .0o — * se VE PAL oO sia a +* Bseive « aw
i . _ a oe ** ° _-- _—— - > - ~ *-* . a. =) ——~ =I. >? ep

4 @+* *-*- =e

_— asia como . - > ' =r + * ~—_ "Tf" TT 2 _-*- ~~ " <I a7 ‘J —— = and
STEER 21473 = 29 11 AUG 55 LENGTH OF SIGHTING DESCIRBED As ONLY NATILA &

SSCONDS. PAR 3e THIS WAS VISUAL SIGHTINGe PAR 4e AT TIME OF SISHTING,
AJ SWICKARD AND-BASE GAME WARDEN, S SGT OTIS RECTOR, 14342799, WERE

co oe ea? ee ~ < P. “te d

ee er re eee ee ee oe OO

- eee eee ae eee

~ ee Gee ee ee es = es oe eel se

= — -—

FRAME 004 / 010tesseract-200dpi

PAGE TWO JESBA 27

50TH AT NORTH END OF FLAGS LAXE SITUATED IN NORTH CENTRAL PART OF
ALLY

“i
©

BARKSDALE RESERVATION. UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT APPROACHED FROM NORNT:
DIRECTION AND MOVED TOWARD SOUTHEAST, MOVING ALMOST PARALLEL TO EARTH'S
SURFACE AND RISING SLIGHTLY BEFORE DISAPPEARING FROM VIEW. PAR 5S.
MAJ SWICKARD IS ACFT OBSR AND BELIEVED VERY RELIABLE. HE SUTDIED
ASTRONOMY AND VERY DEFINITELY STATED UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT NOT "SHOOTING

STAR". S SGT RECOTR CAUGHT ONLY SLIGHT GLIMPSE OF OBJECT WHEN MAJ

OBSERVED SIMILAR OBJECTS ON THREE OTHER Dalek sions, BUT DID NOT REPT
THEM BECAUSE OF FEAR OF RIDICULE. PAR Se WEATHER AT TIME DESCRIBED BY
MAJ SWICKARD AS VERY CLEAR, CLOUDLESS NIGHT WITH SKY FULL OF STARS»
HOWEVER, NO MOON AT TIME OF SIGHTING. PAR 7. AT 2438 HRS, ON DT OF
OBSERVATION, BARKSDALE WEATHER STA RELEASED WEATHER BALLOON. PAR 8

NO FRAGMENTS, PHOTOS, ETC, OBTAINED. PAR 9. NO KNOWN INTERCEPTION
ATTEMPTED. PAR 1%. AT TIME OF SIGHTING, SEVERAL B-47 ACFT SHOOTING

LANDINGS IN GEN VICINITY. HOWEVER, Be47 ACFT STILL QUITE DISTANCE FROM

RSe IM AFTER OBSERVATION, CNE 3-47 PASSED OVERHEAD AND FORMED

Ff
~~. «= o od ~* = °S a Parse -= - = bed real? aly - ae ma ~ rer =
SASIS + MAJ SWICKARD JUDGMENT OF SPEED OF UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT.
— ‘AriuT. = a le Deli , . —_—e- 5A -- eral . te ae ~ oo fom) Al "0 . — **
Heiwi len ¥ SBSERVATION LOCA iL Vo8 ss APSR 29imRi Ls wae V Se fi 4 we cA PL — I '
+o & +" : a» brut ana” te be a neal _- —- _* _- Tr Wipe 2 Pry =r ire . aa I he os _
‘oo ff =e ~~ & & |} ~~ ” . > ‘s+ «= ; a» aS on > - - = - w 4 ve

FRAME 005 / 010tesseract-200dpi

PAGE THREE JESBA 07

SHT fAd SWICKARD MAD= HIS OBSERVATION. OBJECT

TER AND ROUND IN SHAP Le

7 19 FT IN DIAME
EVEALED IT MIGHT HAV= SEEN BALLOON THEY

RELEASEDs DESCIARSED

1939 HRS ON SANE NI
AQYNTOWN DESCRIBED ABOU
BARKSDALE AIR POLICs LATER R

WINTOWN ST REET AND

SAW BLOWN UP AT 1928 Hik> on De
DOWNGRADED AT 3 YFAR INTERVALS;

PRX 19 FEET IN DIAMETER. CCLASSIFIED 3 XPAR INTE
- OU BO
44/1452Z AUS JESBA DIR 6200.10 _

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FRAME 006 / 010tesseract-200dpi

POVTING

SPACE ABOVE FOR COMMUN'C 4 TIONS CENTER ONLY
DATE-TIME GROUP

FROM: (Originacar) ai] Se
1815302 AUG 53 | aa

v) precevence | *CTHOM iow
COMDR ATIC FOR: UU hak
To:
CT) ABDOK MTSSAGE = OVGINAL MESSAGE
COMDR 2ND AF BARKSDALS AFB LA ~~
CRY ?TOPPECAUTION
-$2
ye S a a MULTIPLE ADDRESS [ves x) -
. REFERS TO MESSAGE:
OF NTIFICAT ‘on CLAS SIFICATION oe

UNCLASSIFIED CAFICB 164 C

o)
meanaaaniiret “ ASSIFIED

Ref your message 2AFICB }*! reporting the observation of an unidentified serial ob-
ject by Maj J. D. Swickaré od 8/Sgt Rector at approximately 2100 brs, 11 Aug 53, on
Barksdale AFB reservation. Aequest following information: 1) What wes the angular
velocity of the object? 2) What were the winds aloft at various altitudes? 3) Did

the object appear to be spevirg as fast as a meteor?
In reply cite Project Blue Beok. ——*

Uae s+ 44 @ abewse 4 1a
ELECTRONICS BRA LII
ecora

INCLASSIFIED as

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————_———- -—-- =

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FRAME 008 / 010POOR LEGIBILITY — PENDING RE-EXAMINATION

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AF FORM 112—PART ——_
APPROVED 1 JUNE 1928 ; NS

CaNnthy $ LEAVE BLANGGY

USA | £R-36-53  —_ AFS73526

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AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT | |

SBJCT howe i! ae SS a i ill eat ae eee + _— Doel

FLYOEQPT =
ARZA REPORTED ON ny gl ae - —Ty = UC |

Barksdale AF? Reservation | D/Intellicence, Hq Second Air Force .
DATE Of REPSRS OU sie | DETE OF INPOR VATION — a | EVALLATION | |

13 Aus 5 | lL Aug 53 |
PREPARES BY (nor) = its me > RCE - i 7 /
Capt William L Cramer, Jr
MEPCPENCES 145 tester, dneers, previous teport te, Geapntienhhy

AFL 2004 & 2AFL 200-1

SUMMARY. (Losier rartee H amery vrrpor. G ‘ inert nal on ae rceageaph . P tat is ‘ rea ger iel?, OB ' eff ’ tf su dart i

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An unidentified flying object was sizhted by Ma'tor Jack
Rector at 2150 hours, 11 Ausust 1953.

The two men arread that the object was travelinz at a hivh rate of sme
parallel to the earth's surfece and appeared to be a red ball of fire,

-

im

Oo
’

APFROVED:

“ILLIAM & Todd

Colonel, USAF
Director of Intellirence )

ee —

—

DOWNGRADED AT 3 YEAR INTERVAL

ECLASSIFIED AFTER 12 YEAR».
. DOD DIR 6200.10

/STRIBUTION By SRGiNATOR

FRAME 009 / 010POOR LEGIBILITY — PENDING RE-EXAMINATION

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—_—

UNCLASSIFIED

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FRAME 010 / 010tesseract-200dpi

UNELASSIFIED

AF FORM 112—PART

APPROVED I JUNE 1388

AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORM — REPORT

F204 Lyreey

D/Intellisence, Hq 24F . Ir ‘R. 36 -53 am 2 iw 3

——_ — see

— a

The following information on an unidentified flyin: object was submitted to thi

office by Mator Jack D Swickard, 1143°9.A8

7)

ly three

. .

1, The object appeared to be a reddish ball of fire, anrroxinet
the size of a large star. The object coved very fast and left a stro
Tre speed of the object was described as considerably faster than a 2
was “towel bia several 3-473 in the traffic pattern in the cenesral vic
observati

od

re 1)

i

eo she sichting occurred shortly; after 2100 hours on Ll st 1953. The
ef the sishting was described as only a ratter of seconds.
3. This was a visual sizitine.

tires
in the sic’.

+ aircraft end
enity of the

4K. At the tine of the sivitinc, Major Swickard and a base cara warden, S Szt Uti

central cart of the Sarkatals rovservation. The unidentified object arrroac’«
9 2%

a tortherly direction ani coved toward the southeast, movin: almost vsraliel
earth's surface and rising sli:htly vefore disapr earin: from vier,

~
Rector, 13407977, were both at tle north end of Fla:z Lake situated in the north
ed =

t

5. wajor Swickard is an jiircralt Observer and believed verr reliasle. le nas
studied Astronomy and very definitel: stated that this unidentified object wu 10% a
"shooting star". § Szt Hector caught only a slight clirose of the obicct when ‘ato ;
Swickard shouted “look"™ ta him, However, $ Set Rector stated that he has observed /
Similar objects on three other occasions, tut did not recort then because of fear of
ridicule.

>. The weather at the tire was described by Major Swickard as a rery clear,
cloudless nizsht with the sizy full of stars, However, there was no soon at tre tire ;

of the sicshtinzg.

7. At 2190 hours, on the date of the observation, the Barksiale ‘eather Station

releasei a weather balloon,
8. No fragments, pnhotorraphs, etc, were édtained,

7e There was no mown intercention atterpted.

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AR INTERVAL”
| SRLINTS of Prerearing Officer: ame GRADED AT * 3 PTER ER 12 YEARs.

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