PROJECT BLUE BOOK

WARIES
PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
Boeton Air Defense Sector 0 Was Balloon
22 Mac Peage AFR. N.R. 0 Probably Bolloon
TYPE OF OBSERVATION 0 Possibly Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP
Local_ Ground-Visual Ground-Radar 0 Was Aircraft
100 Probobly Aircraft-
GMT_ AirVisuol Air-Visuol Air-Intercept Radar Air-Intercept Radar 0 Possibly Aircraft
5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE 6. SOURCE 0 Was Astronomical
Yes 000 0 Probably Astronomical
O No O No hilitory 0 Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION B. NUMBER OF OBJECTS COURSE 0 Other Fel Cel
00 0 Insufficient Data for Evaluation Insufficient Data for Evaluation
0 Unknown
not.civen not civen 78 varied
10. BRIEP SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS
5 trucks appeored 5 trscks appeored on radar, speede 200- The l4 unidentified tracks refarred The l unidentified tracks referred
400 knots, alts 7-18 400 knote, alts 7-18 thousand ft w/majority to in rpt show all indicutions of being to in rpt show indicutions of being
around lo,Oooft. Immediately thereafter around lo,Ooort. Immediately thereafter false targets. While the rpt otates false targets. While the rpt otabes
within 6o mi E of Boston, more tracks within 6o mi E of Boston, more tracks that ducting wus not possible, the tact
appeared. A total of i8 tracks was involved. RmMtins that miny rafare do show un-
Highest alt 36,oooft. Some targots appronche j/xplained returns which mict be dueto
the const, then reversed course & headed out-some type of peeuliar transnission
botmd. Other targets approached coast, fuded characterietieo.
&e were ertrapolated inland.
ATIC VORM

AIR TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
WRICHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE
OHIO
REPLY TO
ATTN OF: AFCIN-4ENg 10 June 1959
SUBTNOT: U Unusual Redar Sighting
TO: AFCIN-4E1
1. The attached correspondence, subject sane as above, dated 5 June
1959, is forwarde on for poss alysis and/or
comment.
suspense to be met, notify Major Friend of AFCIN-lEhg by telephone,
extension 6-9216.
thecr
VINOENT C. RETHMAN VINOENT C. RETHMAN 1 Atch: 1 Atch:
Colonel, USAF Ltr, dtd 5 June 59, Subj:
AFCIN-4E4 Unusual Radar Sighting
w/l Atch
Whea ineue(s). in (are) witldeavn or not is (are) witldeaivn or not
attached, the clusslieation ofde attached, the clussiieation of.jd et on thls n this
.will be cnnsed (ochaaged-t
AFI 203-1 2 -4 ) in secardance wtih Par y H
- 7.
Clnssifestion Canceled
Page_Lof
L. 0

information was necessi itated by an inquir Headquarters
USAF for an interpretation regarding the rer to ATIC
unknowns unknowns originating in nating in the air defense system. the air defense system. This This pro- pro-
blem is I blem is presently being coordinated at Headquarters leadquarters
and you wil advised advised of the results as of the results well as any ex- as any ex-
pected reports reports that may be forwarded from this that may be forwarded this
Command.
FOR THE
i
Whdra
DOUGLASS W. EISEMAN . DOUGLASS W. EISEMAN . 1 Atch Atch
Colonel, USAF Colonel, USAF 1 1 cy Msg fm 26th AD, cy Msg fm 26th AD,
Director of Unknown Incident, 3
May 59
.
IE itch
(o)
linela
+
U
TRAIN and RETAIN

FLIGHT PLANS WERE AVAILABLE. TRACKS WERE CLOSE TB IN
BOSTON AIR DEFENSE SECTOR AND WITHIN THE AIH
TION ZONE. SPEEDS WERE 20O-400 ATTTIDE
FEET AROUND 10 TH IMMEDIATELY THERE-
OSTON, MORE
TO 5 MINUTE ALERT. 4 AT
STEWART. STOVER AND OTIS. FOUR WERE AIR-
BORNE AND TWO TURN-AROUND. PAR B: TAL OF 18
TRACKS WERE TRACKS MERE TNVOLvED. HIGEST ALTTTUDE SO,ODo FEET. IN ICHES TUDE 36,000 FEET FOOnTnACKD OUR TRACKS
WERE LATER
PAGE TWO RJEZSN PAGE TWO RJEZSN 54 54
IDENTIFIED; BY BY SCRAMBLE AT Øl16Z AS NAVY AIRCRAFT; AT Øl16Z AS NAVY AIRCRAFT; ONE AS A
BOEING 707 RC-121 AT OO29Z BY REVISED FLIGHT RC-121 AT 0029Z REVISED FLIGHT
PLAN. SIX SCRAMBLES PI SIX SCRAMBLES PLUS TWO DIVERTS WERE MADE AGAINST EIGHT OF
THE TARGETS BUT AIL FADED ALL FADED PRIOR TO INTERCEPT. PRIOR TO INTERCEPT. THE REMAINING SIX
FADED FADED AN AND WERE WERE SCRUBBED AFTER LOSING RADAR DATA BETWEEN Ø23- SCRUBBED AFTER LOSING RADAR DATA CETWEEN 023-
0044Z. 00447 PARC. PAR C: ALL RADARS IN BOSTON SECTOR
COMPUTER WAS CHECKED BY IEM. SECTOR IDENTIFICATION OFFICER CHECKED
WITH NEW YORK ANI MOVEMENTS IDENTIFICATION SECTION FOR
POSSIBLE MAJOR AIR VEMENT. EASTERN NORAD REGION WAS ALSO
CHECKED WIIATH NEGATIV RESULTS BEING REPORTED. RADAR AND FST-2
AT SIT HER SITES WERE CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE IN
ORIENTATI PERMANE CHIECKS WERE ALSO MAT SETS
TO Bi CAS. TRACKING MIERTT ALL TRACKS
AND SHOWED GOOD DATA INTTI.REACHINO
BOSTON SOME RGETS ERSED
COURSE ADET OUND. OTHER LARGETS COAST,
FADED ANI INLAND. ALL TRACKS WERD CHECKED FOR
MULTIPLE -10. P-13 TEXAS TOWER II. THESE
STATIONS TRACKEL NEOUSLY AND SEPARATELY DURING
THE PERIODS, INCLUDING SITE P-LOB. BOSTON AIR DEFENSE SECTOR
CHECKED WITH RADAR MAPPING PERSONNEL AT
(ELA)

RED
PAGE THREE RJEZSN 54
ABOVE SITES FOR VERIFICATION. ALL VERIFIED BLIPS AT THE POSITIONS
ABOVE CONFIRMED THE DIRECTIONS. PAR E: THERE IS NO APPARENT REA-
SON FOR THE UNKNOWN TRACKS. ALL EQUIPMENT WAS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY.
AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY STATED THAT TH ETR RADAR ALSO PICKED UP AND
TRACKED NHEST ARGETS THROUGH AREA. HEIGHT READINGS WERE
ALSO TAKEN ON RGEOS. EVERYTHING POSSIBLE WAS ACCOMPLISHED
TO CHECK AND VERIFY INPUTS. ALL AVAILABLE AIRCRAFT WERE SCRAMBLED,
INCLUDING SOME FROM ADJACENT SECTORS. THERE AIRCRAFT
CARRIER ACTIVITY DURING THE PAR F: WX AT THE
TIME WAS: SCATTERED CLOUDS BETWEEI THOUSAND FEET.
NANTUCKET SOUNDING AT Ø3/ØØØ1Z INDICATED THE CHANGE IN REFRACIVE
INDEX WEA ONLY 7 BETWEEN SURFACE AND FEET. DUCTING
POSSIBLE.
BT
05/1715Z RJEZSN
80
0
NNNN
AC-PARAPHRASE NOT REQUIRED EXCEPT PRIOR TO CATAGORY B ENCRYPTION- REQUIRED EXCEPT PRIOR TO CATAGORY B ENCRYPTION-
PHYSICALLY REMOVE ALL INTERNAL REFERENCES BY DATE-TIME GROUP PRIOR
TO DECLASSIFICATION-NO UNCLASSIFIED REFERENCE IF DATE-TIME GROUP
IS QUOTED IS QUOTED
: •
•
a .
.
.
.

Ltr, AFcin-4Ehg, 10 Jun 59, Unusual Rudar Sighting
Bigas
1st Ind (AFcH-4ala/V. D. Bryant/74201/Je) 16 Jun 59
I
TO: AFCIN-4E4S
The 14 unidentified tracks referred to in this report show all indications
from the screen. The fact the ; no serambled airoraft contacted any target
can be taken as assurance that the targets were false. Likewise, the fact
that several radars While the report says ducting was not possible, the
targets were that many radars do show unexplained returns which must be real.
fact remains wype of peculiar transmission characteristies.
due to some
GORDON C. HOFFMAI GORDON C. HOFFMAIN 1 Atch.
67 Colonel, USAF n/c n/c
AFCIN-4E1
21 fewihdrum The Page L of L Pages Page Lof L_ Pages
Iinda Iinde
Cy Lo LOys LoLOys
aceordanea with paragraph S7e. Alts1. acebrdanee wlth paragraph S7e. Altost.
:
#
,

SECURITY CLASSIFICA
JOINT ORM
SPACE.BELOWLR. SOMAAUNICATION CENTER
PARAPHRASS NOT REOUIRED EXCEPT PRIOR TOT UNUL
CATEGORY B ENCRYPTIONLPHYSICALLY REMOVE
ALL INTERNAL REPERENCES BY DATE-TIME GROLF
PRIOR TO DECLASSIFICATION-NO UNCLASSIFIED
REFERENCE IF THE DATE-TIME GROUP IS QUOTED 1)X
PRECEDENCE TYPE MSO (Chack) SYMBOL ACCOUNTING ORIG. OR REFERS TO CLASSIFICATION OF PEFERENCE
ACTION ROUTINE BOOK MULTI SINGLE
INFO X AF$ OC0 4-188 SECRET
FROM: SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
ATIC, W-P AFB, OHIO
TO: HQS, ADC, ENT AFB, COLORADC
ATTN: ADODI-B
ENCODEL
/FROM: AFCIN-4E48 Initials Initials
Time 222134
REF SECRET MSG FR 26 NORAD DIVISION TO EASTERN NORAD REGION, DTD Checked By
JUve JUNe
5 MAY 59, CITE OCO 4-188. DUE TO THE LIMITED DATA AVAILABLE AND 5 MAY 59, CITE OCO 4-188. DUE TO THE LIMITED DATA AVAILABLE AND
THE AESENCE OF MATERIAL EVIDENCE, SUCH AS SCOPE FHOTOS, THE
ANALYSIS BY THIS HQS WAS NECESSARILY LIMITED. THE CONCIUSIONS ANALYSIS BY THIS HQS WAS NECESSARILY LIMITED. THE CONCLUSIONS
REACHED ARE AS FOLLOWS: I. T REACHED ARE AS FOLLOWS: I. THE FOURTEEN UNIDENTIFIED TRACKS THE FOURTEEN UNIDENTIFIED TRACKS
REFERRED TO IN THE REPORT SHOW ALL INDICATTONS OF BEING FALSE
TARGETS. II. THE FACT THAT NO SCRAMBLED A/C CONTACTED ANY TARGET Classificntion Cancelle
(or a(
CAN BE TAKEN AS ASSURANCE THAT THE TARGETS WERE FROBABLY FAISE. Rui
tahay
III. THE FAOT THAT SEVERAL RADARS PICKED UP THE SAME "TARGET* Date 46
IS NO ASSURACE THAT THE TARGETS WERE REAL, IV. WHILE THE REPORT
STATES THAT DUCTING WAS I NOT POSSIBLE, THE FACT REMAINS THAT
DATE TIME
Page I ot 2 _Poges 1000
Cy L_ of_L Os MONTH YEAR
JUNE 1959
SYM9OL SIGNATURE
AFOTN-4E4g
TYPED (Or stOMP NAME AND TITLE
30-U MAJ ROBERT J. FRIENC
PHONE 69216 PAGE NP. 1 NR. PAGES OF 2 LOURS J. HARRECL
SECUWMESS CAPTAIN. USAF
AFCIN AX2a2
D FORM 173 REPLACES 2D, WHICH WILL DE USEO UNNL EXHAUSTED
1 MAY 35

JONT MESA
FROM:
ATIC, W-P AFB, OHIO
RETURNS WHICH MUST BE DUE TO
SOME TYFE OF PECULIAR
COORDINATION:
DATE 19kne9
Col Rethnan
AFCIN-4E 0 /9
Mr. Post
BOVNGRAUED ATA VENCAES
Page 2e of 35Fpm02
Yo LL0ys
1NM SS SO
PAGE I NR OF INITIALS
SYAOCL 13 PAGES
AFCIN-AF4s 2
U.3.FOYERSWET TIAS CPIES 113
DD.178-1

Radar Analysi
Natural Fhemomena (Ball Lightning, etc)
Evaluation of Source eliability
report
show all indications of being false targets. While the report states that ducting
was not possible, the faot remains that many radars do show inexplained returns
which must be due to soma type of peculiar transnisaion charagteristios.
in Cancolled