PROJECT BLUE BOOK

PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD

2 LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS

Blackstone, Virginia Sach rabebly Balloon
4 TYPE OF OBSERVATION ossibly Balloon
O Wes Aircraft
AX Groun d- Vi suel O Ground-Rader a Probobly Aireroft
© Alr-intercept Radar |9 Possibly Aircraft
OURC O Was Astronomical
O Probably Astronemicel
O Possibly Astronomicel
LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 6. NUMBER OF OBJE 4 OeeEOeeeeeeeeeen
QO Insufficient Date for Evaluation
one 0 Unknown

11, COMMENTS

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING
1. Speed in accord with wind at altitude

ircular, baseball type, bright Light
stationary at 30 deg elev in N. Pilot DC-47

also saw cob). Thought flight gradually to N
object became smaller bright and shining.

Balloon observation.

ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)

’$/ ANY OTHER UNUSUAL ACTIVITY

A NONE

“9/ PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF SIGHTING
A NONE

429” INTERCEPTION ACTION
A NOM

‘tif AIR TRAFFIC IN THE AREA OF SIGHTING

AIF PEVETSA

(727 PREPARED BY OPERATIONS OFFICER

4137 WO FUPTHER INFORMATION AVAILASLE THIS CENTER

. gre,

22/01432 JAN JEDLS

OLMSTEL

’

CENTE

PLIGHT SERVICE

uA . : ¥ B oa FLE SY WA BASHDC
FOS

“2/ DISCRIPTIONS
A CIRCULAP

BASE SALI
BRIGHT LIGHT
ONS

NEGATIVE

F NEGATIVE
NEGATIVE

it NEGATIVE

I NEGATIVE

re kw €3 ba |

oO

PACE TWO JEDLS 4SA

’2’ PISCRIPTION OF COURSE
4 NOTICED OBJECT NO PARTICULAF PRASON
3 42 DEGREES IN EASTERLY PIFACTION
C STATIONARY THEN BEFORE PISSAPPRARING MOVED IN AN EASTERLY
DIPECTION

. SrPCaTrIyr
‘ _- 24 IVE.

‘ANNEP OF OBSERVATION

ennai, V4
UNCLASSIFII .

2ist District OSI 24-0 Subjs Sighting of Unidentified Object Neer
Slackstone, Vae

OI-INT (11 Feb £4) lst Ind
Ueedquarters, 405th Fighter Bomber Ting, Langley AFB, Va. 17 FEB 1954

Te: Director of iutelligence, Headquarters USAF, Washington 26, D. C.

ly The basic letter is forwarded for your information.

26 This report hes not been made on an AF Form 112 secause of speciel

instrustions from ths Director, Office of Security Investigation tc the

22st District Offica of Specie] Invastisetions, giving their
mit, such renorts in letter fotms

SarPaiesi 5
Yr “tee ~ =e |

FOR THE CCM‘AUDER

vat ie

HERDERT , INKERTON
nm

. spe iin, seas
Adjutant

Info cy
Air Technical Intel Center
Veight=-Pattersor 1i%, Ohio
AFOIN 2nd Ind 23 February 1954

DEPARTMENT OF THES AIR FORCE, Hq USAF, Washington, 25, D. C.

TO: Chief, Air Technical Intelligence Center, Wright Patterson Air Force
Base, Dayton, Ohio

/

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/ ZH, 4 ,
“| ees

7, X, SMITSs
Lt Colomel, USA?
Directorate of Intelligence

rCLASSIFIEH

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, « Fa ? : Pd
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FSF PISS yw BE

RINCLASSIFIED
File Nos 24-0 ll February 1954

2ist District OSI (1G), Lu gley AFB, Hampton, Virgins
SUBJ: * Sighting of Unidentified Object Mear Blackstone, Virginia

matter MMMMivised that he was flying a F<94 aircraft over Langley
AFB when notified of the unidentified object by the 77lst AC * W Squadron.
OSBORNS advised that he was given directions by the AC & W Squadron,

and requested to investigate the directed areas for the unidentified

objects. GEER vocal Lod that he had patrolled the areas di d
AG % W, but had failed to observe any unidentified objects. ther
advised from mexory that he had first received AC & W notification at

approximately 1800 hours on 29 January 1954.

gry

CARL M B2SMER
ff | Major, USAF
District Commander

ccs Deputy, C3 Iutelllwence, Hgse TAC.
Director OST.

UNCLASSIFIED

F3Y—AIS 7 vw 4- tit

AIL A I A

re eT oT TET ITT m -

UINCLASSIFIE
be 3% wo! ED ,
File Not 24-0 Gabi’ ¥y ll February 1954

21st District OSI (It), Langley AFB, Hampton, Virginia
SUBJ: ‘Sishting of Unidentified Yoject Near Blackstone, Virginia

since 1 January 1955 eta 0 that at 1715 hours on 23 dvanuary
1954, while he was at how, he looked into the sky and noticed a bright,
white, shapeless object which appsared to be at an altitude of between
tyelve (12) and fifteen (15) thousand feet. @QRMMPsaid there worse a few

wh ouds in the sky and the sun was still shining. According to
wr. object had a constant shine and remained stationary in ths
at about a thirtz£50) dezree angle above the horizon ani due north
of Blackstone dvised that he watched the objjsct for e couple of

minutes and then drove to the CAA Interstate Aviation Concmuimications

Station at Blackstone Arny Air Figld and advised the two (2) CAA exployses
on duty of the oncra = Sa 0 that all three (5) observed ths
uncnowa object in the sity. Aacording to at 1721 hours, a 0-47

flew over the station. ‘The pilot of the aircraft was notified of ths ob ject

in the sky and he atvised that he also saw the object. The pilot believed,
however, that the uskvowa object was between thirty (20) and Porty (40)

thousand feet in altitudes. The ot rsportedly did not know ths nature
or identity of the ob ject. PB 055: the aircraft as a USA? Air
Bvacuation Plane, fi ver 8154, enroute to Andrews Air “orce Base. ee
further advised that ‘ne CAA Office at Blackstone notified Washington Air
Route Traffic Control, ‘Iabional Ai +, and Military Flisght, Middletown,
Penasylvania, of (i 5: chtinge dvised that he retur to hia hone
and last noticed tie opject at 17 ours. According to the ob ject
created no noiss, 1» snoke, hat it appeared

no trail and he adivised
to be a flat oval in 90, gag a th s object was much more proninens
orightness. aid that he did not have

than any aircraft, ive toi
any knowledge of the size of the object no ts exact shane.

8. On 29 January 1954, chief of the Pacility,
CAA O??ice, was interviewed at Blackstone Army Air *ield.
—— Gee that he had been working for the CAA since 1936.
advised that he first saw the odject at 1723 hours on 28 January
when the CAA employees on the ?ield called him at his home in 83lackstone,

and brought his attention to the sighting. According to Gp the
unknown object appeared to have a bright metallic surface. According te

anaes: unknown object was between forty (4) and forty-five (45)
ecrees above the horizon and dus north in dirsctio .

estimated that the object was five (5) to ten (10) miles away at an altitude
of approximately thirty (30) to forty (40) thousand feet. ee

stated that behind the object was a licht layer of cirro-stratus sclouds.
(ia iviaed that these clouds usually oosurrsd as aa altitude 91?
cairtyefive (35) te forty (40) thousand feet and they thus helped hin
establish the approximate altitudes of the object. TL EE stated that the
inknown oDject was slonzated in shape and was stationary. “8 had ao xuow-

=

» . * “-". — «+ 2 wa ”— se + ~~" ) = = — . o . ° 4
Ledze whatsoscever of the size of the odjecot, am he further advised that trere
3 20 noises, mo smoke or vyacor trail, or disturvances in ‘> near the

=f9

ee ee ee ee ee eS

~~) Oe Se eer

me

UNCLASSIFIED
File tios 24=0 ll February 195¢

2lst District OSI {IG}, Langley A?B, Hampton, Virginia
SUBJ: Sighting of Unidentified Object Near Blackstone, Virgiaia

appeared so lerge at such an altituds. QQ further aijvised
the OSI agents that Roanoke, Virginia had reported three (5) loose
weather balloons, on the morning of 28 January 1954. Roanoke had
noted that the balloons were drifting in a north, northeasterly
direction. QED > s timated that if the direction of drift
continued, the balloons would have passed no closer than ons hundred
(100) miles (approximately) fron Blackstone and that in such an event
the object sighted was probably not one of the balloons. QR
however, stated that the object could have been a balloon, but that he
was unable to give my estimate of the nature of the object.

7. \ ER » 0° 0 the records of the CAA Office and
advised the followine weather coaditions for the late afternoon of 23

January 1954. Thin, broken clouds at twenty (20) thousand fest were
reported at the sanproximate time of the ai ghting, with a north, north-
easterly surfaos wiai of six (6) miles per hour also recorded.
SCNAFPSTALL gave ‘lio location of the Blackstone CAA Office as the
following: 77 d+ -cees, 55 minutes, no seconds, west loaritude; 37
decrees, 4 minutes, 4 seconds, north latitude; slevation, 240 = IAC.

8. Onl Fedrimry 1954, Captain MARVIN H. CASTLESERRY, AO 614651,
Operations Officer, ith Pighter Interceptor Squadron, Langley ArB, was
interviewed concerning the unknown object. CASTLE2ERRY checked the
squadron records ani aivised that the 77lst AC % W Squadron, Cave Charles
APS, Virginia, had wtified a pilot of the 48th squadron of an unknown
objeot sighted. ‘Captain CASTLSBSRRY identified the pilot as lst Lt.
DONALD Re. OSBOR'NS, AO 1911312, and stated that the notification occurred
sometime om Thursisy evening, 28 January 1954. Captain CASTLESERRY
advised from the records that the AC % W Squadron had received two (2)
reports of unknown objects, from the Ground Observer Corns Filter Center,
Richmond, Virginia. “he first report, received by AC & W at 1744 hours,
stated that an unknown object had been sighted at approxirately 73 degrees,
1S niautes, west lonzitude, and 37 degrees, 45 miautes, north latitude.
CASTLSSERRY stated that the AC & W Squadron had received another report
from Richmond at 1804 hours, of a sighting at 77 decrees, 15 minutes,
west longitude, and 357 dezrees, 49 minutes, north latitude. CASTLSSERRY
stated that Richmond had not advised the AC & W Squadron of the origina
o? the reports. CASTLSSSRRY surnised, however, that the sightings
probably originated at GOC Command Posts. CASTLSSSRRY stated that the
AO & W Sauadrea had observed no unidentified objects within a radius of

: ; STL GIR a tat

— ome °°; 2 fae. .** ‘= sn - . . . 4.3
ro 4 ized . o; . mov } 1.38, iuring 21.53 Gate ead 4 aed J Tie 70a Tat

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ee

no further information was contained in the AC & W report.

9o Onl BPebrucsry 1954, let Lt DOUALD 2 OS2CR TS, 48th Fighter

. - . =_— $ wade a hans. te & SS Ce
steresptor Squadron, was interviewed concerning Ais actions ia tiis

elie
~~;

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Mil whe} ic

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
WASHINGTON

INSPECTOR GENERAL USA
218T DISTRICT OFFice OF SPECIA
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE. LANGLEY FIELD.

File Not 24-0 1l February 1954

SUBJUCT: Sightiaz of Unidentified Object
Near Blackstone, Vircinia

GRADED AT 3 YXZAR INTRO ‘wad
powr 12 YAR

paces an DoS Aso

los Comnander

- te. wee

405th Fishter Bomber Wing or eae
Langley Air Force Base

fiampton, Virsinia

ATTI: tirectur of Operations

le Referenss Air Force Letter 200-5, dated 29 April 1952.

2. The following is in written confirmation of a report

telephonically transmitted to your office on 30 January 1954 by
Lt Colonel DWIGHT J 3COVSL, District Commander.

Se On 29 Jjsmiary 1954, Lt Colonel SCOVEL received a telephonic
report from the 0.3! Detachment Comaander, Richmond, Virginia, in
which Colonel SCOVESL was advised of a sighting of an unknown object
in the sky, in the vicinity of Blackstone, Virginia. Colonel SCOVSL
was advised that the sichting occurred sometime on the afternoon of
23 January 1954. Subsequently, Colonel SCOVSL contacted the Adjutant,
405th Fighter Bomber Wing and OSI was thereby directed to initiate an
inquiry inte this sizhting.

4. The following is therefore the result of the inquiry into
incident matter conducted by Snecial Azents ERNGST E HOARD and JAES

{ WARD.

5, On 29 Jamacy 1934, ——_—_—_———mpierprtrmey 213% 52>

Stuart Village, Blackstone, Virginia, was intervicwed at Blacks* <a
2 tae

Army Ale Pield concerning the sizhting of the unimown object.
stated that, from Ausust 1943 through duly 1952, he had served
Alr Pores, with duties_as Control Tower Operator at Andrews and Sangor
ir forse Bases. gee... that he had been discharged as a 5 Szt,

+ his Service Mimber was A? 14251719, QOeversrcd that hse has
[Aen 4 (aa i ae 7 Tt. . Y * a bom | be 2 te tuernee |S we %4

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