PROJECT BLUE BOOK

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PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 7
.
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
16 0ct 61 0 Was Balloon
Gettysburg AFS, South Dakota 0 Probobly Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION 0 Possibly Balloon
Local 1805 Ground-Visual Ground-Radar Was Aircraft
OX Probobly Aircraft
GMT. 170005Z AirVisuo Air-Intercept Radar D Possibly Aircraft
5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE 0 Was Astronomical
Ys D Probably Astronomical
DNo Military 0 Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS 9. COURSE 00 Other_
Insufficient Data for Evaluation
20 min 2. Varied ° Unknown
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTINGODjt size of baseball. 1. cOMMENTs Witnesses sighted what they though
Heavy contrail, apparently heavier at time, re- to be a contrail heavier than that normally
portedly disappearing during maneuvers. Objt left by a/c. There were 2 I B-52's in area
appeared Im proceeding in NE track, at time whi with a flight path closely
turning proceeding SW along same track as paralleling that of reported objt. Witnesses
inbound sighting. Initially appeared fm horizon probably saw l of these a/c and inter-
and was under visual observation until ti dis- mittently heavy contrail could have been
appeared cver horizon andxnderxxkxmaxxEMxarxax caused by layers of air of slightly different
tian at O on outbound track. Turns were abrupt temperatures. It is therefore concluded
that objt
. in area.

AF IN : 3 30773
ACTION : CIN-17
INFO OOP-2, OOP-CP-1, SAFS-3 (24)
UF-D Jilke .
SMB B 101
CZCHQD443ZCYJB521 0
Q
PP RJEZHG
DE RJEDAFU 1
ZNR
P 170415Z
FM 903D RADAR SQ GETTYSBURG AF STN SDAK
TO RJWFAL/AIR DEFENSE COMMAND ENT AFB COLO
RJWFKF/29 AIRDIV RICHARDS-GEBAUR AFB MO
RJEDSG/AIR TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE RJEDSG/AIR TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OHIO CENTER WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OHIO
RJEZHE/HQ USAF WASHDC
RJEZHQ/SECRETARY RJEZHQ/SECRETAF OF THE AIR FORCE FORCE WASHDC WASHDC
BT
AT USAF, SAFIS AT SAF. UFO. AT USAF, SAFIS AT SAF. UFC - VISHED IAW AFR IAW AFR
200-2; PARAGRAPH 15. 200-2; PA
A. A. (INO DEFINITE (L) DEEINITE DETERMINATION MADE
(2 BASEBALL 2
(3) INDEFINITE, DU
(4) 1
WTUION
(5) N/A
(7) HEAVY CONTRAIL HEAVIER AT TIMES, REPORTEDLY
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DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORC
AF IN 30773 (17 Oct 61) STAFF MESSAGE BRANCH UNCLASSIRED MEDS pg 2 of 4
PAGE TWO RJEDAFU 1
DISAPPEARING DURING MANEUVERS.
(8) NONE DETECTED
(9) NONE
B. (1) HEAVIER THAN NORMAL CONTRAIL, SPEED AND MANEUVERS.
(2) OBJECT APPEARED FROM 260 DEGREES APPROXIMATELY,
PROCEEDING IN NORTHEASTERLY TRACK, TURNING TO SOUTHERLY
TRACK, THEN PROCEEDING SOUTHWESTERLY ALONG SAME TRACK AS
INBOUND SIGHTING. OBJECT APPEARED FROM HORIZON INITALLY,
AND WAS UNDER VISUAL OBSERVATION UNTIL IT
DISAPPEARED OVER HORIZON ON OUTBOUND TRACK. semnTannod oven nons 2ONON OUTBOOND TRAOR.
(3) 0 DEGREES, INTO HORIZON.
(4) INITIAL TRACK WAS STRAIGHT FLIGHT, TURNS WERE ABRUPT, WITH
OBJECT GIVING APPEARANCE OF DROPPING IN WHILE
MANEUREVING. MANEUREVING.
(5) OBJECT DISAPPEARED GRADUALLY INTO HORIZON
(6) OBJECT WAS VISIBLE FOR (6) OBJECT WAS VISIBLE FOR R 20 MINUTES 20 MINUTES
c. C. (1) GROUND VISUAL (1)GROUND VISUAL
(2) NONE
(3) N/A
D. 0005Z/17 OCT/61

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORC
STAFF MESSAGE BRANCH
UNCLASSIFIED MED
AF IN 30773 ING pg 3 of 4
PAGE THREE E RJEDAFU 1
(2) DUSK (SUNSET)
E. 45 DEGREES 03 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE, 99 DEGREES 57 MINUTES
WEST LONGITUDE, 4 MILES NORTH OF GETTYSBURG, SOUTH DAKOTA.
F. (2) SS 903D RADRON RADAR OPER RELIABLE
A2C 903D RADRON AIR POLICEMAN RELIABLE
A A2C 903D RADRON, IEO, RELIABLE
A2C 903D RADRON, MOTOR POOL, RELIABLE
A2C 03D RADRON, COMMUNICATIONS, RELIABLE
G. (1) ALL OBSERVERS REPORT GOOD WEATHER, NO PRECIP NOTED.
SIGHTING MADE NEAR SUNSET
(2) SURFACE
6000 280 DEGREES 15 KNOTS
10000 300 DEGREES 25 KNOTS
16000 290 DEGREES 30 KNOTS
20000 300 DEGREES 35 KNOTS
30030 290 DEGREES 30 KNOTS 30000 290 DEGREES 30 KNOTS
50000 310 DEGREES 30 KNOTS 500003 310 DEGREES 3 30 KNOTS
80000 310 DEGREES 15 KNOTS
(3) CEILING CLEAR
(4) VISIBLITY 15 MILES

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORC 3
( STAFF MESSAGE BRANCH
UNCLASSIFIED MESS
AF IN 30773 (17 Oct.61) pg 4 of 4
PAGE FOUR RJEDAFU 1
(5)NONE
(6NONE
(7) 6 DEGREES/80 MILES
H. NONE
I. NONE
J. SAC AIRCRAFT REPORTED IN AREA FOLLOWING TRACK CLOSELY MATCH-
ING REPORTED TRACK SAC AIRCRAFT, 2 TYPE B-52
AIRCRAFT PRESENCE IN AREA AT TIME OF SIGHT ING HAS BEEN CONFIRMED
BY GRADS WEAPONS SECTION.
K. INTELLIGENCE OFFICER. ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT SIGHTING WAS
SAC B-52 TYPE AIRCRAFT IN ALL L PROBABILITY. SUN PROBABILITY. SUN
REFLECTION ON AIRCRAFT REFLECTION ON AIRCRAFT AT TIME OF SIGHTING PROBABLY PROBABLY CREATED UNUSUAL UNUSUAL
APPEARANCE
GIVING OBJECT EFFECT OF HIGHER SPEED. INTERVIEWS WITH ALL OBSERVERS
REVEALS NO INFORMATION WHICH WOULD INDICATE THAT OBJECT WAS PROCEEDING
AT SPPD OR PERFORMING MAEUVERS WHICH CONFIRMED AT SPPD OR PERFORMING MAEUVERS WHICH IRMED D AIRCRAFT WOULD AIRCRAFT WOULD
NOT BE CAPABLE OF. B
L. NONE E.
BT
17/0840Z OCT RJEDAFU
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