DECLASSIFIEDUSAF PROJECT BLUE BOOK · NARA T-1206
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

PROJECT BLUE BOOK

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT CASE FILES · 1947 – 1969
CASE REFERENCE8673346
DATE OF SIGHTINGMarch 1961
REPORTED LOCATION5422N17900E PACIFIC
FRAMES6

Machine transcription · mean legibility 84.2/100 · engines: tesseract-200dpi

Transcribed Frames

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PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD

1. DATE 2. LOCATION 1312. CONCLUSIONS
’ O Was Bolloon
ry « =~ . AAs ‘e
2l Mar ol S422N 17900E e Acie jc) 0 Probably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION ~ O Possibly Belloon
O Wos Aircraft
Locel 0 Ground- Vi sual OD Ground-Redor QO Probeobly Aircraft
GM T_ 210904 Z D Air Vi suol O Air-Intercept Rodor O Possibly Aircraft
5. ‘PHOTOS 6. SOURCE 0 Was Astronomicol ‘he Teer.
O Yes & Probobly Astronomical
i. cs OQ No “ thary 0D Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS 9. COURSE O Other. —
l which exploded © Insufficient 1 Dato for Evoluetion
‘ =: 0 Unknown
? and hy sec into many Desc nding _|
_ BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTINGiOUN eddis 5 11. COMMENTS "
ved a d reddish objt/small 1 witness apparently saw objt
“4 cet about 1/4 size Of ia rge ones. Fir ret ob- foefore meteor exploded, while other 1 say
Se ever jaw one obJt split into "many" with it after it had exploded. Description is
about 4+ large fragments. end saw 12-14% of *haracteristic of a type of meteor cai 4
warvvinge «cite : mae ia% + eo ——
varying sizes. mn bolide. Color,explosion and duraticn
bears out this conclusion

ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)
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DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE i
STAFF MESSAGE DIVISION

AP IN : 57321 (24 Mar 61) INCOMING MESSAGE F/egd

ACTION: CIN-14
INFO : OOP-2, OOP-CP-1, SAFS-3 (21)

DDE RJKAG 175

P 232146Z ZEX

FM COMDR AAC ELMENDORF AFB ALAS
TO RJWFALXADC ENT AFB COLO
RJEDSQ ATIC WPAFB

RJEZHQ/ COFS USAF AFCIN SAFS
RJ EZ HO/OSAF
R 222 1222

FM COMAL SEAFRON
TO CINCAL

BT

& ES Ae

I. As SHAPE: NOT DISCERNABLE, ONLY ROUND, AS A LIGHT SOURCE.

B. SIZE:NOT DISCERNABLE; SMALL PARTS ABOUT 1/4 SIZE OF LARGE ONES,

BUT IMPRESSION OF SIZE CAME NOSTLY FROM THE INTENSITY OF THE LIGHT
EMANATED,

—, y | v
) Ape
M

C. COLOR: ONE OBSERVER SAID REDDISH, OTHER MADE NO OBSERVATION AT ALL.

D. NUMBER: FIRST OBSERVER SAW ONE OBJECT SPLIT INTO “MANY”, WITH ABOUT

FOUR LARGE FRAGMENTS: SECOND SAW 12-14 OF VARYING SIZES,
E. FORMATION: SCATTERED PATTERN
F. FEATURES OR DETAILS: NONE,

G. TAIL, TRAIL, OR EXHAUST: ONE OBSERVER Saw NONE AT ALL, OTHER FELT

SLIGHT STREAK EFFECT WAS CAUSED BY THE PERSISTENCY OF THF TYE.

H. SOUND: NONE,

T, OTHER PERTINENT FEATURES: BOTH USED PHRASE “TUMBLING” OR "ROLLING"

soe

Auth,
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DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
STAFF MESSAGE DIVISION
INCOMING MESSAGE

AF IN: 57321 (24 Mar 61) Page 3 of 5
INTO THE UNDERCAST WHICH WAS IMMEDIATELY BELOW, BUT SAID THEY SEEMED
TO BE DIMMING, AND MIGHT HAVE STOPPED GLOWING. SECOND OBSERVER SAID
THEY ENTERED CLOUDS. |
F. LENGTH OF TIME IN SIGHT: FIRST OBS, 6 SECONDS. SECOND OBS. 2 SECONDS.
III, A, MANNER OF OBSERVATION: AIR-VISUAL
B. OPTICAL AIDS. NONE.
C. AIRCRAFT: TYPE P2Vv-7 HEADING: 136T
IDENT. NO.: YB-1, 1355912 SPEED: 136 KTS
ALTITUDE: 8,508 FT HOME STA.: KODIAK, ALASKA
IV. A. DTG: 210904Z
B. LIGHT CONDITIONS, CLEAR NIGHT
V. A. LOCATION: 54-22N 179-2@E (CORRECTED ON DEBRIEF)
VI. OBSERVERS:

NAME GRADE ORGANIZATION DUTY ESTIMATE OF RELIABILITY
Tec. ADAMS LT VP- 1 PILOT BOTH ARE LEVEL HEADED
ReL. MOORE AE2 VP-1 AIRCREWMAN PEOPLE AND HAVE OBSERVED

METEORS, BUT NEITHER HAS
HAD SPECIAL EXPERIENCE OR
TRAINING IN THE FIELD.

VII. A. OBSERVER*’S ACCOUNT OF WEATHER: SOLID UNDERCAST BENEATH WITH

SCATTERED CUMULUS BUILDUPS. CAVU ABOVE.
B. WINDS FROM N.S. ADAK WEATHER DESK (AT TIME & POSIT OF SIGHTING):

MAY BE USED.

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17)

itu

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STAFF MESSAGE DIVISION

or si F INCOMING MESSAGE
AF IN : 57321 (24 Mar 61) Page 2 of 5

OTHER. ONE OBSERVER ASCRIBED THIS TO “ THE WAY THEY MOVED”, OTHER TO

“THE WAY INDIVIDUAL FRAGMENTS SEEMED TO CHANGE INTENSITY”, BRIGHTNESS

WAS STRESSED BY BOTH, SAID TO BE BRIGHTER THAN STARS THEN CLEARLY

VISIBLE, AND BRIGHTER THAN ANY METERORITES EVER OBSERVED. SPEED OF TRAVEL
WAS SAID BY BOTH TO BE LESS THAN THAT EVER NOTED IN METEORITES.

II. A. WHAT FIRST CALLED OBSERVER’S ATTENTION TO THE OBJECT? FIRST
OBSERVER STATED THAN INITIAL SINGLE OBJECT ™ APPEARED” IN HIS FILED OF
VISION, IT DID NOT PASS INTO FIELD OF VIEW FROM ABOVE. SECOND SAW ONLY
MULTIPLE OBJECTS. ¢ IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE BURST WHICH THE FIRST OBSER-
VER DESCRIBES MAY HAVE ATTRACTED ATTENTION OF SECOND OBSERVER.)

B. ANGLE OF ELEVATION AND AZIMUTH AT FIRST SIGHTING: FIRST OBS. PLUS 28
DEG. & 136T -=- SECOND OBS, PLUS 28 DEG. & IS6T.

C. ANGLE OF ELEVATION AND AZIMUTH AT DISAPPEARANCE: FIRST OBS. PLUS 5

DEG, & 136T=--SECOND OBS, MINUS 5 DEG. 5 136T.

CFN 28 & 136T 20 & 126T 5 & 136T 5& 1356T.

D. DESCRIPTION OF FLIGHT PATH AND MANEUVERS: STRAIGHT DOWN WITH SMALL
CAPPROX 5 DEG.) DRIFT FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. FIRST OBSERVER SAID THAT AFTER
ABOUT 5 DEGREES OF DESCENT THE SINGLE OBJECT BURST INTO MULTIPLE
FRAGMENTS WHICH SPREAD OUTWARD AND CONTINUED AT ABOUT THE SAME SPEED.
SECOND OBSERVER SAID THE MANY FRAGMENTS WERE IN A A SCATTERED PATTERN WITH

SOME FOLLOWING BEHIND OTHERS.
E. MANNER OF DISAPPEARANCE: FIRST OBSERVER STATED THEY MIGHT HAVE PASSED

ena;

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DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
STAFF MESSAGE DIVISION
INCOMING MESSAGE

AF IN : 57321 (24 Mar 61) Page 4 of 5
SURFACE: 0529/25 20,000 FT 670/10 (NOT RELIABLE)
6,008 FT 120/20 30,008 GT 240/45

10, 980 FT 110/25 50,920 FT 280/52

18,900 FT 120/10 82,020 FI 218/20

C. CEILING: NONE

E. CLOUD COVER: NONE

D. VISIBILITY: UNLIMITED ON TOP

F. THUNDERSTORMS IN AREA: NONE

VIII. NO OTHER UNUSUAL ACTIVITY NOTED

IX. AIRCRAFT FLEW 30 MILES ON SAME HEADING, THEN DIVERTED ON CURRENTLY
EMPLOYED RADAR SEARCH PATTERN. 24 MINUTES LATE A/C FLEW OVER POSITION
ESTIMATED BY FIRST OBSERVER AS APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF OCCURANCE,
NOTHING WAS OBSERVED VISUALLY OR ON RADAR. RADAR WAS ON AT THE TIME OF
INITIAL SIGHTIN, BUT NO TARGET WAS HELD.

Ke AIR TRAFFIC IN AREA: AIRBORNE TARGET TRACED ON RADAR AT THAT TIME
AS FOLLOWS:

210985Z 54-34N 179-22E

0922Z 54-52N 179-41W

03942Z 55-15N 178-36W

@948Z 55-49N 177-33W

XI, PREPARING OFFICER: LTJG J.W, KRAUSSER, VP-1! INTELLIGENCE

Jer ICER.COMMENTS: THREE ALTERNATIVES APPEAR LIKELY; 1. METEORITE,

2. PYROTECHNICS, 3. EARTH SATELLITE VEHICLE REENTRY. BIRDS & BALLOONS

“? jou EF J
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DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
STAFF MESSAGE DIVISION

INCOMING MESSAGE

AF IN : 57321 (24 Mar 61) Page 5 of 5

ARE ELIMINATED BECAUSE OF NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS AND LIGHT EMITTED
1. BOTH OBSERVERS STATED THAT OBJECTS MOVED CONSIDERABLY SLOWER THAN

ANY PREVIOUSLY OBSERVED METEORITIES, AND REDDISH CO
OR IS NOT COMMONLY

ASSOCIATED WITH METEORITES,

2e THE A/C PASSING JUST BEHIND THE OBSERVING A/C MAY HAVE ORIGINATED
A PYROTECHNIC SIGNAL, BUT THE REASON FOR DOING SO IS NOT APPARENT.
FIRST OBSERVER STATED IT WAS NOT LIKE ANY PYROTECHNIC HE HAD OBSERVED,

BUT BOTH LIKENED THE BURST ITSELF TO A FIREWORKDS DISPLAY.
BT

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