PROJECT BLUE BOOK

PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD

l. DATE 2. LOCATION ‘|12. CONCLUSIONS
O Woes Balloon
—19 February 1955 | Palm Sorings, California | I Slat et pe
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION ossimy Balloon
Locol 1035 PST. a “of Ground- Vi sual C} Greund-Redar 5 { Was Aircraft
ag Probably Aireroft
GMT. - 19/7) 3 3 2Z = SS | Q Air Vi suol ‘e Air-intercept Radar 0 Possibly Aircraft
5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE O Was Astronomical
OYos O Prebobly Astronomical
X20) No Civilian QO Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION _ 6. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE a ee ==
OM Insufficient Dora for Evaluation
O Unknown
_..9ne minute _ = one | east. a
10, BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 1], COMMENTS
Solid, round, very bright, faded or Probably a/c Sighting,
vent into cloud,
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)

‘Mysterious Blast
f'n New Zealand.

AUCKLAND, N. Z., Feb. 6 (3.—
A mysterious explosion of ter-
rie force shook the west coast
of New Zealand's South Island
foday. A strange silver shape
Meshing overhead at the Same
time was reported,

Observers. at Widely-separated
pours described the object as
cigareshaped and emitting a;
dazzling ght and traveling’ ati
high speed, They said it lost!
altitude as it. moved inland)
toward the Southern Alps. i
The explosion was heard and
felt in an area of several hun-
ered square miles. a

BAAMAA BAAR DAES

. !
On Monday, February 8,,$pere apowared in The New fork Herald

BiG tXPLOSION |

RE PORTED

MYSTERIOUS OBJECT |

IN SKY

(New Zeatint Press Assoctation)

| GREYMOUTH, February &
; A mysterious explosion of terriff
force, and a stranse object seen j
the sky over the West Coast this atter
Hoon, Crused much specidatio
‘hroushout the district toniznt, So fa
ere has been no explanation of th
}exDlosion, nor of the object. wit

waien it apparently was linked.

| Responsidle observers at widely
separated points wave similar descrip
tions of the object in the sky. [t was
jstated to be cigar-shaped, bright sil-
jver in appearance, and travelling at
la Speed too prrent
[appeared to
‘Tnoved inland.

Two observers-—one at Dobson and |
the other at Inchbonnie—ciaimed that|
the object was in two parts, and nat}
ithe leading portion was much larger |
jthan the other. The object emitted a|
dazzling light.
| Inqutries tonight indicated that the |,
lexplosion occurred about 5 p.m. It!
lwas heard ond felt over an area of}!
séveral hundred square miles, and ‘i
the strange object in the sky was,’
;vUbserved simultaneously from at leas
|four different places—ithe mouth of th
| Taramakau river, Greymouth, Dobso:
jand Inchbonnie.

_ The explosion was heard by mar
}Ppersons in Greymouth: and at Nels
Creek, 20 miles north-east, it was »
vinlent as 9 clap of thunder. :
; The line of Hight of the abject wo
‘approximately south-west to nortl
east. Jt came from over the see abo.
10 miles south of Greymouth, and it
course apparently took it into thi
foothills of the Southern Alps, about |
25 miles from Greymouth, 1}
An observer at Inchbonnie reported })
|&@ huge column of smoke in the foote {|

,bills of. the Alps at the time of the}
explosion.

|

be Josing altitude as it!

— ee —_—— ee oe oe + ee ee ee

Tribune an AP report from suklund, New Zealand, saying that

a mysterious explosion of terrific force had sheken the west coast

of New Zealand's South Island the day before.

4 strunge silver

shape flashing overhead at the sume tle was reported. “Observers at

widely sesparatad points described the object as cigar-ashaped and

enitbing n dazzling light and traveling at high speed. They ssid

it lost altitude as it moved inland toward the Southern dlps.}

Ty,e explosion was heard and felt in an area of several hundred square i

miles.”

to 6estimale.)6=sosdIt |

a

'

’

vl

rd AMVOMESA 'AVUNON ‘SSaud AHL

—” | | ane

i ee

PAETEORITE—OR WHAT? se
Mysterious Green Fireball |

Here’s his story:
“Around midnight this licht

iseemed to pop out of the sky di-

ihuge electric arc. It was green-
ish, like the tip of a welder’s
| torch.

Brightens Night Over Texas nrc 0a»

TYLER, Tex., pt M4 (@ — A There were unconfirmed reports/as far as Jackson, Miss., to the

“hall, its weird green light cast- jt exploded or hit the ground, but east and Mineral Wells in west
‘ a fiery glow over three men ne evidence of it had been found.! Texas.
iy oan alrport control tower,| Information indicated it was first! “ae
flashed. like a “huge electric arc'’|seen here and disappeared some’ Tae ae
» MOST viv ccount came
across the east Texas piney woods'60 miles south, near Luikin. But, THE MOST vivid 's

unday night. “ the Weather Bureau at Dallas got from J. N. Aber, control tower a short tail. It lasted just a sec-

a was apparently a meteorite. reports of people seeing its glow’ operator at Pounds Field here,

|were three oie us in the | tower, We
‘ot course had the lights on, but the
room lighted up brilliantly: It was
a blinding light, the brightest I
‘ever saw. We all. turned and
iwatched it disappear to the south,
about 30 degrees above the hori-
zon. It looked like a football with

jrecly above us. It looked like

ond. ty

— ~s a

E KAS = | MISS (S35, OS j

ee eee

eee ee eee

Radioactive Fiber!
At Horseheads

tIORSEHEADS, N, Y.. Feb. 22
—Dr. Charles 3B. Rutenbder,
chemistry professor at Elmira
College, identified today as radio-
active a curtain of wispy gray
furz that spread over part of this
village two days ago. He said the}
furz Was badly damaged. slightly
redioactive cotton fiber.

Where tne fiber came from be-!
fors 1+ settled on trees, shudbery
and houses Sunday night was a}
mystery, Dr. Rutenbder sald tests
showed that the Aber was ap-
parently waste material of a sub-
stance which had been heavily
cumaged tn some sort of explo-
sion.

tlorseheads is a village of about
4,500 population, six miles north
of Elmira in the south-central
part of New York State. Dr.
Rutenber said the radioactivity
was not present to dangerous
degree,

The Atomic Energy Commis-
sion’s’New York office doubted
that the radioactivity came from
Priday’s test shot'in Nevada. .

—

In one of the three incidents reported in other
months (Horseheads, New York, February 21, 1955) the angel hair
was identified as waste products from the local milk plant.

0

On February 2H, at Horseheads, NeY., Shere fell a

tativv tete,

“yas redioactiz>,
wisoy gray fuzz of badly damaged cotton fiber. It WAS, radios

~—

V y ors
- f-

rN f LA

rs -
JPF@G5 YDASLS 4 MM pHOEAR

ADBGOGS&IPAGD4IBG GAL

RR JEDEN JUPJB JEDWPE JEPHO
DE JWPJBIG wor .

R £922562

COMDR 7525S CW SQ NT LAGUNA CALIF

a

TO JEDENJXCOMDR AIR DEFENSE COMMAND ENT AFI COLORADO SPRINGS COLORADO
JUPJIP/COMDR 27TH ADIV DEF NORTON AFB CALIF

INFO JEDWP/COMDR AIK TECHN ea WIELLIGENCE CENTER

WRIGHT=PATTERSON AFB OHIO

JEPHO/DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE HEADQUARTERS USAF

WASHINGTON 25 D C

/ZUNCLASSIFIED/ 752ST OPS5-2 198 PD

t. APPEARED SOLID (A) ROUND (B) 2/2 DIME (C) VERY BRIGHT (D) ONE
(E) BLANK (F) BRIGHT REFLECTION AS OFF METAL (G) BLANK (H) BLANK (1D

2. FADED AWAY EAST (A) VERY BRIGHT REFLECTION (B) 45 DEGREES AND EAST
(C) ABOUT 45 DEGREES EAST (D) STILL THEN MOVED 59-68 MPH AND FADED

oo“ .

5-24 MILES AWAY (E) FADED OR WENT INTO CLOUD (FUL ONE MINUI

be

Se €A) GROUND VISUAL (B) NONE (C) N/A
4. 1955 PST 19 FEB 55 (A) 291855Z (5) DAY

Se DD 25 BLACK PALM SP INGS

PAGE TWO JWPJEB iG

UNEMPLOYED

Te CA) LIGHT BREEZE COOL DRY SUN OVERHEAD (B) 235 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS
GGG@ FT 369 DEGREES 15 KNOTS 141400 FT 34% DEGREES 25 KNOTS 16590 FT

S46 DEGREES 55 KNOTS 2@439 FT 550 DEGREES 55 KNOTS EPPPP FT 3% DEGREES

oo

93 KNOTS 59999 FT 299 DEGREES 6G KNOTS 8089 FT 32% DEGREES 2@ KNOT
(C) NONE (D) 4@ MILES (FE) NONE (F) NONE

&, NONE

9. NON

JOPM ONE T-33 AT 26086 FT JUST WEST OF SITING

£i. SENIOR DERECTOR C CREW NO COMMENT ON THIS SITING OTHER THAN
POSSIBLY A HIGH FLYING JET

12. NONE

BT

J29/ 09422 FEB JWPUB

t=]

nS Ce ee

( PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
. OATE 2. LOCATION ~ 112, CONCLUSIONS
QO Woes Balloon
28 February 1955 =| Palm Springs, California [0 Probably Bolloon
>. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Pe: Fosalbly Batloos
set 1 Was Aj ft
Se eee BS SS 5 PHMGround- Vi sual 0 Ground-Redar QO Probably Aircraft
OM r_01/03227_ March _ = 0 Air- Visual oO Air- Intercept Radar | Possibly Aircealt |
“5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE 0 Wos Astronomical
O Yes 0 Probobly Astronomical
,, O No Civilion O Possibly Astronomicol
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION | NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9 COURSE ee OSS ae a a
0 eccusient Dato for Evaluation
; oO
19 minutes | one stationary eT
10, BRIEE SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 1}. COMMENTS i. i‘
Round Ake a star. Orange to red to Possible balloon,

rroen, E
tionary.

es sharply outlined,

Sta-

—_

26 SEP 52)

—_

ATIC FORM 329 (REV

——

enw +-——

Se HE HE IE HE EE EE EEE HE EE HE EE HE ESE ETE GEE FE EEE EE SE EE IEE FE FE TE HE SE SE IE FE ESE EAE ESE SEE HE HE HSE EE HE HE HEH HEHEHE OO

FESe #) 1955 BETWEEN MAIQUETIA AND MERIDA  4KEYHOE={1955 P 249) 5 WITNESSESOO
AN AEROPOST AIRLINER+ PILOTED BY CAPTAIN

—_—_—

« A FAMOUS VENEZUELAN 0}

FLYER» WAS FLYING AT 7500 FEET BETWEEN BARQUISIMETO AND VALERA» IT WAS A o2

CLEAR DAY, WITH VISIBILITY UNLIMITEDe UNTIL 11015 AeMe THE FLIGHT WAS NORMAL.OS
SUDDENLY CAPTAIN SQM AND HIS COPILOT» [Sa SPOTTED A STRANGE o4

ROUND *¥APPARATUS® FLYING SWIFTLY TOWARD THE PLANEe ROTATING COUNTERCLOCKWISE+05
THE MYSTERIOUS MACHINE SHONE WITH A GREENISH LIGHTe AROUND ITS CENTER WAS A 06

RED RING OR BAND WHICH EMITTED FLASHES OF SRILLIANT LIGHTe ABOVE ANDO BELOW 07

a_i CARPAINS

THIS BAND WERE WHAT APPEARED TO BE LIGHTED PORTHOLESs. > 08
HURRIEDLY CAPTAIN @@MMMMm CUT IN HIS MIKE TO CALL THE SARQUISIMETO RADIO 09
CT ATIOOAI. AFPTESD OF CADTING THE OARIJFCT. HE WAITED FOR AN ANSWER. PLuIiT THE tA

ND ee

JUST AS CAPTAIN HAD BEGUN HIS REPORT» COMMUNICATION WAS CUT OFFe)
PWENT BACK TO ALERT THE PASSENGERS» CQ@@M® BANKED TOWARD ___
THE ROTATING UFOs INSTANTLY THE OBVECT WHIRLED DOWNWARDe THENe LEVELING OFF 's
I1T_RACED_ AWAY AT TREMONOOUS SPEEDe  __

a

——RECETVER-HAD x _(LATER-THE BARQUISIMETO-R4D1G—OPERATORS -STATED-THAT-

____ COMMUNICATION == NOT ONLY AT BARGUISIMETO BUT AT VALERA. WHICH WAS ALSO

ee

Oth >

WHEN THE PLANE LANDED. THE PILOTS LEARNED OF THE SUDDEN BREAK IN RADIO

=)

»

RECEIVING THE INFORMATIONe NOT UNTIL THE AIRLINER WAS A FEW MILES FROM THE
VALERA AIRPORT HAD THE RADIO RESUMED NORMAL OPERATIONe
BOTH FLYERS TOLD REPORTERS THEY HAD NEVER BELIEVED IN FLYING SAUCERSe
*BUT_NOWs# SAID: CAPTAIN #NOT ONLY ARE we CONVINCED OF THEIR

2 | )

___MOST_SENSATIONAL EXPERIENCE OF MY CAREER AS A PILOT» AND I WILL REMEMBER THE _

———————— —_— ——_—— — -_——_ ——
. - -- ~

EXISTENCE, BUT ALSO THAT THEY ARE CONTROLLEDe* THEN HE ADDED. *THIS WAS THE

tJ WW »

.
PS.

INCIDENT FOREVER.* |

__THE PILOTS= DETAILED REPORT,» WHICH MADE FRONT-PAGE HEADLINESs WAS FULLY __
, CONFIRMED BY THE PASSENGERS.

HHH HHH HHH HHH HE EH EEE EE IE TEE HE EH HEE EEE EH EE EE ER IEEE HE EE KE HH eH TEE HEHEHE HAH AHH EE EY Co

Ui

fv tf ™ N™ ry ~) hy ee ee se se et RO

ao

ad

Brilliant meteors of a particularly fragile structure, which seldom
deposit recoverable fragments, are common in February. Unsur-
prisingly, this month has also produced many fantastic UFO reports.
According to various saucer publications, for example, in the nights
between February 2 and February 14, 1955, the skies were thick
with weird machines from beyond the earth.

On February 2 at 11:15 a.m. an airliner flying over Venezucla ob-
served a phenomenon described as “ a strange round apparatus fly-
ing swiftly toward the plane. Rotating counterclockwise, the mys-
terious machine shone with a greenish light. Around its center was a
red ring or band which emitted flashes of brilliant light. Above and
below this band were lighted portholes.” [2, p. 249] As the pilot
banked the plane, the object whirled downward, leveled off, and
raced away at tremendous speed. The flyers told reporters that
although they had never believed in flying saucers, they now were
convinced of their existence and of their being controlled. After
excavating the few specific facts buried in these dramatic interpre-
tations, we recover a classic¢ description of an ordinary daytime
fireball: a flaming red body surrounded by greenish gases, breaking
up into fragments that burn up in a brilliant flash. Three nights
later, on February 5, the ocean liner Vera Cruz (time and position
not stated) supposedly reported that a “huge, luminous craft, cruis-
ing at fantastic speed,” had passed above the ship [2, p. 250]. On"
the night of February 7 the pilot of an Eastern Airlines flight over
Florida saw what “looked like a ball of fire, ten or fifteen feet in
diameter’; three similar objects “much brighter than aircraft flares”

———ro

were sighted in the same area between 7:55 and 8:35 p.m. [2,
p. 255]. On February 11 a Pan American flight between Miami and

New York (time and position not given) was passed by “two strange

reddish-green objects.” [2, p. 259] On February 14 shortly before
midnight a swiftly moving “weird” green fireball was seen from
Texas to Mississippi, so blindingly brilliant that it lighted up a whole
room [2, p. 2Go].

Not one of these descriptions provides enough factual information
to allow positive identification, but every one fits the usual meteor
pattern. It is highly probable that all these “UFOs” were inerely

meteors.

The Christehureh Star-Sun. Mordav. Feb, 7, 19554]

. | It was, nevertheless, distinct

, Coasters and many people were tet wath) LASH’ ALSO.

;
trembled with it. They pointed!) ‘ya eyaeryy
Gir t} out that had the meteorite disin- !) SIGH TRD AT |
re ar VY tegrated on reaching the eartns | :

atmosphere at some point over A SHBURTON
IM t it the Coast, it is possible the per- | fh |

£E ; cussion could have caused shock a 5 a =e
Lf e eorl eC waves in the atmosvhere which! 2.C. ASHBURTON, To-day.

! ; Pair ¢ ‘ At least three reputable}!
AW et @. . , , , might have been feit and could ae }
.C, : GREY MOUTH, To-day. h: on iven out the winbie re- | business men in Ashburton to-})
Iexcitement ran high in man lave § : re NDE ‘ ; day reporte acai ve what the
? 7 ; ported from many widely sepa- ‘lay reported seeing what they ||
|parts of the Coast yesterda: Atel snbte =a escribed as a “very brilliant ||
at an object which made a brie{ | T@te@ spots. ' Sight” high in the sky andj}
flight through the sky ahou Observation Difficult travelling towards the Southern |

five o'clock and disappearer tt
shortly before a sound like the
low rumble of thunder occurred,

Alps, avout 5 p.m. yesterday.
The sighting of the object, or |
light. which, according to one}

seems that people some
miles south of Greymouth who |

oe Sy ir suw the object come into].
was caused by no more than a first suw ‘ : ry} e® observers. was travelling |
common meteorite, it is believed. | | S'8ht, glowing with a bright sil- |) a “ . snenaneral: Head, vant
Yesterday reports from separ- |} Ver light, and who saw it move)! cides with the time of the |
ule parts of the Coast gave the beyond their vision, did not hear “mysterious explosion” res |
object differing shapes and dif-|||any subsequent noise which was }\ ported from West Coast centres |

fering altitudes, some holding it |,| generally heard in the north. yesterday afternoon
so low as to be seen hidden|'| It was pointed out to-day that), ° Qne of the biisiness men sald |
behind trees. it is very difficult for ground that he was with a party of |
Some reports give the “ex- ||| observers to pick the altitude of swimmers on the Ashburton }
plosion” which followed, aj/a high-flying object or to estl-|) River, just below the town, }
sharpness like a V-bomb or a || mate speed, | when he saw a bright flash in
loud clap of thunder, but to | Meteorites are not uncommon the sky above the Alps, Al-[
limost, the noise was like a low! |sights on the Coast, but are though he drew the attention.of |
‘roll of thunder, startling in the | | mainly seen at night. | his companions to the “fash,” |
br liiantly fine day, but which lt : is thought yesterday's they did not see i} ;
ve ves set the grqund faintly |!) meteorite was bigger than the | Magnesiunt Flare ce]
tees Re tS iusual “shooting star” to have | Py mat 5 4 at fates
hat the object disintegrated | been visible in davlight it was like a bright Mag: |
on contact with the earth's at-|° Very few ; meteorites ever nesium flare,” he said this morn: |)
mosphere, as is common with |} : a : ; -

reach the-earth’s surface, though
there is a record of three or four
having done so, including one

ing. “ But, instead of going up
into the sky, it was falling
towards the hills.”

Another man reported seeing |

nieteorites, and did not approach |
the earth even closely, is indi: |
ated by a Greymouth man who

by
‘Lake runner.
| Many who cid i0t see any i
jobiect in the sky nevertheless
jheard an explosion which is
vcreed to have followed the dis-
Upearance.

was driving a car from Christ. |) |Which landed on a house in the} =, \ Vary bright light” travelling
church to Greymouth yesterday. United’ States within the past in the western sky above the |
_ At five o'clock, when at Cass, || |f¢w months. | Alps at. 4.56 p.m. yesterday. It \
he saw the object. It was only || ; was travelling at an extremely |
mall, he said, moving north || high speed in what appeared to |
and high above the alpine chain. || him to be a north-westerly cirec-
Altitude 100,000ft tion. He was unable to estimate |}
He is a former pilot. and he || its height and was not able to
nut its altitude at not less than | identify its shape accurately this |
} oo NooF?. morning. i|
| After moving high in the air, A third observer reported that |
it exploded im a pu of smoke. | he saw a “bright light” in the}}
looked like a Is Ad rocket |! 'sky over the Southern Alps at.
| moving rapidly, ke said. i about 5 p.m. yesterday. He did |!
i This report discounts com- ‘not take a great deul of notice ||
pletely any suggestion that the of it until he read this morning } |
object approacned close to the! of the “explosion”. on the West »
sround or that part of it came} Coast.
to earth in the foothills. The om =
‘eport also places. the object in , |
he area in which it was seen}
'

y Coast residents—in line with

Ses

Many cricketers, fishermen, |

jand utaer sportsmen in Grey-})

jmnouta,  Rotomanu, Brunner, | ny s

;Tlapahoe, andseven Westport j ) AN: & JN SV )
ileard the noise. It very closely “\ 4} fy Lk
_yasembled a long roll of thunder, | Vv CY

‘not’ particularly loud or sharp. |!

—— -9— eo oe