PROJECT BLUE BOOK

' PROJECT 10673 RECORD CARD

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1. DATE 2, LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
: least as QO Was Balloon

9 Mar 61 Chanute AFB, Illinois QO Probably Belloon

a akae en ai ene eae aaa —!|0 Possibly Balloon

3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION

1800 . (1 Was Aircraft
TD A re XD) Ground: Vi sual DO Ground-Rader |Q Probably Aircraft
___ GMT__ 1000007, — 0 Air Visual _o Air-Intercept Radar O Possibly Aircraft
‘5. ‘PHOTOS OURCE 0. Was Astronomical
O Yes = pore er eat
it ie it ossibly stronomica
1 No 1S ee 7a Military | Mis dnterpret Pee aOn,
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8 NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE M%  Other_12u2 9s
O Jasufficient fae for obits
gs O Unknown
2-5 mén 1 SW-W-E

10, BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING Round, bright white op- |11. COMMENTS Low, fast moving scud, br right
jetec, size of basketball. Pulled up gradually, stars shining througn the overcast, ex-
Straight and level. Disappeared benind build-| tensive air traffic and irregular holdiz g
ing. Various maneuvers. | flight path of one C-7 probably all

contributed to sighting.

ATIC PORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)

Toi BAR Tl ©CO 25

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RJEZHQ/SEC OFVAF WASH 25 DC

BT

UNCLAS OSD 56C AFCIN SAFIS SUBJECT UFO SIGHTING.

UFO SIGHTING REPORTED THIS BASE BY FIVE MILITARY MEMBERS. AT
9B30Z 19 MARCH 61. INVESTIGATION REVEALS SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION
/

OF PHENOMENA. LETTER REPORT TO FOLLOW IN ACCORDANCE WITH AFR
29@-2 AND 2A. IMMEDIATE ATTENTION REQUIRED.

BT

19/22422 MAR RJEDNU

———

2 RECEIVED

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RJEZHQ/HQ USAF WASH DC

RJEZHQ/OSAF WASH DC ‘
Br 0 ve |

UNCLAS OSD 58C, SECTION ONE OF TWO ACTION SAFS AND AFCIN
HQ USAF REFERENCY MY UNCLASSIFIED PRIORITY MESSAGE SUBJECT: UFO (

19 MARCH 61. FOLLOWING REPORT SUBMITTED IAW PAR 15 AFR 200-23
Ae DESCRIPTION OF OBJECT

OBSERVER -1 2 3 m sy
(1) WATERMELON MELON ROUND —« SPOTLIGHT

(2) GRAPEFRUIT BASKETBALL PEA BASKETBALL .
(3) BRIGHT WHITE . BRIGHT WHITE SILVER BLUE WHITE ,
(4) ONE ONE ONE ONE

(5) N/A N/A N/A N/A

PAGE TWO RJEDNU 82

(6) NONE NONE NONE NONE
(7) NONE NONE NONE NONE
(3) NONE NONE NONE NONE
(9) LIKE T-55 NONE NONE NONE

LANDING LIGHT

Be DESCRIPTION OF COURSE
C1) FIRST OBSERVERS CASUALL NOTICED OBJECT WHILE LOOKING

OUT NORTH GATEHOUSE WINDOW.
SECOND OBSERVERS FIRST OBSERVER CALLED HIS ATTENTION

TO OBJECT FROM SAME LOCATION,
THIRD OBSERVERS CASUALL OBSERVED OBJECT §FROM DOORWAY

OF EAST GATEHOUSE.
FOURTH OBSERVER$ WAS TELEPHONED AT WEST GATEHOUSE BY

THIRD OBSERVER»
(2) STATIONARY, BANKED DESCENDING
2500" TO 3000" MSL 2300" TO 2000" MSL 2500° MSL

DESCENDING

500° TO 300° MSL
(3) PULLED UP GRADUALLY STRAIGHT AND LEVEL STRAIGHT AND

LEVEL DESCENDED BEHIND BUILDING

PAGE THREE RJEDNU 82
OBSERVER 1 ts | 2

campeaitom 0

4) BANKED AND STALLONARY UESCENUING GLLDE
“BACKED UP. LEVELED OFF
GLIDE FORWARD BACKED UP, STRAIGHT AND LEVEL rom

PULLED UP GRADUALLY MOVED FORWARD, STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

3 4
STRAIGHT AND LEVEL | DESCENDED BEHIND BUILDING OUT
OF SIGHT
”DANCED® =
FADED OUT a
(5) GRADUALLY SW INSTANTANEOUS W FADED OUT DESCENDING E i
(6) 2-2 1/2 MIN 5 MIN 2-3 MIN 3 MIN =
C. MANNER OF OBSERVATION e |
(1) GROUND VISUAL GROUND VISUAL GROUND VISUAL GROUND VISUAL |
(2) NONE NONE NONE NONE sis
(3) N/A N/A N/A N/A é
D. TIME AND DATE OF SIGHTING 3
(1) 0030Z 10 MAR 61 0000Z 10 MAR 61 UNK 9 MAR 61 00302 10 MAR G1 0 “
(2) DUSK * DUSK DUSK DUSK ra
E. LOCATION OF OBSERVERS
(
¢
(
' e:
(
PAGE FOUR RJEDNU 82 (
(1) NORTH GATE NORTH GATE EAST GATE WEST GATE
F. OBSERVERS ,
(1) JOSEPH FRANCIS GUENTHER JR ASC 3345TH ABGP CHANUTE AFB
(2) MARVIN WHITE WHITFIELD  A3C 3345TH ABGP CHANUTE AFB
«

€3) JOHN ANTHONY PADDOCK A3C 3345TH ABGP CHANUTE AFB
(4) BENJAMIN NMI JONES JR A3C 3345TH ABGP CHANUTE AFB c |

ee a = he) -* Premises - ; Oe ie el alta tt OE ed

. Ge OBSERVERS-1 2 3
OVCST OCC SNOW FRIDAY OVCST CALM OVCST OCC SNOW FLURRY
, |
OVCST CALM
€2) 6000 300/20
10000 310/25
16000 300/45
29000 300/50
30000 290/65
50000 280/50
(3) 23552 M 24 BROKEN 2 MILES VIS LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS
0010Z M 35 BROKEN 7 MILES VIS
00355Z M 42 BROKEN 7 MILES VIS
0056Z M 47 BROKEN 7 MILES VIS

PAGE FIVE RJEDNU 82
(4) SEE (3) ABOVE
(5) 9/10
(6) NONE
(7) SFC TO 3500 PLUS MINUS 0
3500 TO 5000 PLUS 5
5000 TO 10000 MINUS 6
10000 TO TROPOPAUSE STANDARD
He THE 1961 AIR ALMANAC INDICATES VENSU AS TH BRIGHTEST
STAR FOR THIS MONTH. VENUS WAS 275-280 DEGREES TRU AZIMUTH 20-25 DEGREES
FROM HORIZON REFERENCE. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A WARM, DRY
SUBSIDENCE INVERSION FROM 3500" TO 12000" AT THE APPROXIMATE

. ee

(

—_

TIME” OF SIGATING.
Ie NONE | |
Je RAOB SCHEDULED FROM PEORIA ILLINOIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
00002. TRUE BEARING 280 DEGREES, 70 NM.

Ke CHIEF, BASE TRAINING DIVISION. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE
ACTUAL SIGHTING TOOK PLACE BETWEEN 0000Z AND 0010Z. INTERVIEWS
WITH OBSERVERS 1,3, AND 4°WERE ALL "PAT" AND APPEARED TO ME
SOMEWHAT REHEARSED. OBSERVER 2 WAS ON KeP. AND DID NOT HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO. “REHEARSE” HIS ANSWERS.

BT
15/2106Z MAR RJEDNU

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RJEZHQ/OSAF WASH DC ag aX 3
BT =
UNCLAS OSD58C. FINAL SECTION OF TWO. -

SIGHTINGs ALSO, THE OTHER OBSERVERS PLACE THE SIGHTING AS JUST
AFTER AN INTENSE SNOW FLURRY AND PRIOR TO A SHORTER SNOW FLURRYe

~e

THESE SNOW FLURRIES OCCURED AT APPROXIMATE TIME INTERVALe I PLACE

THE SIGHTING IN AT THIS TIME INTERVAL A BASE T-35, NUMBER 794

WAS EXECUTING A PENETRATION AND GCA PICKUPe TRANSIENT C~47 @16 WAS
ATTEMPTING TO ENTER A TECTANGULAR PATTERN IN THE EXACT AREA OF -
THE SIGHTINGe THE C-47 WAS TOLD BY THE TOWER TO HOLD IN THE NW

QUADRANT (THE AREA OF SIGHTING) UNTIL THE T-55 COMPLETED ITS

PAGE TWO RJEDNU 85

| APPROACH. IT IS MY OPINION THAT INITIALLY THE C-47 LANDING
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HE REMEMBERED THE TOWN SIREN SOUNDING AT @@@®Z JUST PRIOR TO THE

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: OBSERVER» THEN THE T-33 APPEARED FROM THE OVERCAST WITH GEAR DOWN
AND LANDING LIGHT ON» AS THE GLIDE PATH WAS ENTERED, THE FLAP
APPEARED TO CAUSE THE AIRCRAFT TO HOVER MOMENTARILYe THE WARM DRY
SUBSIDENCE INVERSION FROM 350@ FEET TO 12¢@@ FEET COULD HAVE
CAUSED SOME BENDING OF THE IMAGE FURTHER DISTORTING THE *“APPARENT®
PHENOMENA OF A UFOe THE SISSAPPEARANCE DESCRIPTION OF EACH OBSERVER
ALL GENERALL AGREE IN DESCRIBING A PHASE OF A GCA OR MISSED APPROACH.
FUTHER, THE TERMS PHENOMENA FOR THAT EVENING WAS MISINTERPERTED

BY AN EXPERIENCED FIELD GRADE PILOT AS AN AIRCRAFT PERFORMING

NIGHT AEROBATICSe THE LOW, FAST MOVING SCUD CREATED THIS APPARENT
MOVEMENT AND IT WAS ONLY AFTER CLIMBING ON TOP THAT THE IP, A FORE-
CASTER OF 12 YEARS EXPERIENCE COULD CONVINCE HIM IT WAS IN FACT
VENUS. IT WAS FURTHER REVEALED IN INTERVIEWS THAT A DISCUSSION
FOLLOWED THE SIGHTING, BEFORE IT WAS INITIALLY REPORTEDe FEARING
RIDICULE THEY ADMITTED "TALKING IT OVER*. IT IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT
SIX AIRCRAFT SHOT GCA LOW APPROACHES AND/OR LANDINGS BETWEEN

2355Z AND @@54Z. SEVERAL OF THESE WERE MULTIPLE APPROACHES.» IT

IS MY CONCLUSION THAT THE LOW, FAST MOVING SCUD, BRIGHT STARS

PAGE THREE RJEDNU 83
SHINING THROUGH THE BROKEN OVERCAST, EXTENSIVE TRAFFIC AND THE
IRREGULAR HOLDING FLIGHT PATH OF THE C-47 IN THE Nw QUADRANT EACH
AND/OR ALL CONTRIBUTED TO THE ALLEGED SIGHTING. NEITHER THE

TOWER TRICK CHIEF OR GCA HAD ANY UNUSUAL INCIDENTS TO REPORT FOR
THIS DATE. 7

L» NONE. tn aE a Seat

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