Project Blue Book file, RB-47, July 17, 1957

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

Chairman JOACHIM P. WUETTNER

Environmental Research Laboratories of the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Boulder, Colorado

Members

FORD MIDWELL

International

Colorado

C. 3221 A. CA70

Systems

Jo Doshi, California

I. LANARD N. CHARLES

M. JOSÉ AIRELL

El Boguido, California

MURRAY DRVER Environment, Lai Research Laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Doulder, Colorado

HOWARD D. EDWARDS Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, Georgia

PAUL MacCREADY JR.

Technical Consulting

Altadena, California

ANDREW J. MASLEY the Donnell Douglas Mesaite & Syco Systems Santa Monica, California

ROBERT RADOS

N. Goddard Space Flight

Center

Greenbelt, Maryland

Secretary VERNON J. ZURICK Environmental Research Laboratories of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Boulder, Colorado

DONALD M. SWINGLE U.S. Army Electronics Command Fort Monmouth, New Jersey

known source of the 3000 mes radar like signal was moving up-scope relative to the 500 mph R3-47.

The Wing Intelligence Officer continued:

At 1039Z aircraft condr sighted huge light which he estimated to be 5000 below aircraft at about 2 o'clock. Aircraft altitude was 34.500 ft. weather perfectly clear. Although aircraft condr could not determine shape or size of object, he had a definite impression light emanated from top of object.

At about 1040Z. ECM operator 2 reported he then had two signals at relative hearings of 040 and 070 deg. Aircraft condr and copilot saw these two objects at the same time with same red color. Aircraft condr received permission to ignore flight plan and pursue object. He notified ADC site Utah and requested all assistance possible. At 1042Z. ECM #2 had one object at 020 deg relative bearing.

In my interviews with the aircrew, I found differences between the recollections of the various men as to some of these points. McCold recalled that the luminous source occasionally moved abruptly from starboard to port side and back again. Chase recalled that they had con- tented Utah (his recollection was that it was Carswell GCI, however)

prior to some of the above events and that Utah was ground-painting the target during the time it moved up-scope and reappeared visually. As will be seen below, the contemporary account makes fairly clear that Utah was not painting the unknown until a bit later, after it had turned northwestward and passed between Dallas and Ft. Worth. Chase explained to me that he got FAA clearance to follow it in that off-course turn (Point D) and indicated that FAA got all jets out of the way to permit him to maintain pursuit. The Intelligence summary continues:

At 1042Z ECM =2 had one object at 020 deg relative bearing. Aircraft could increased speed to Mach 0.83, turned to pursue, and object pulled ahead. At 1042.5Z ECM =2 again had two signals at relative bearings of 040 and 070 deg. At 1044Z he had a single signal at 050 deg relative bearing. At 1048Z ECM =3 was recording interpane and command position data.

ADC site required the craft to go 1FF Mode 111 jar and the identification and then requested position of object. Crew reported position of object as 10 n. mi. northwest of Ft. Worth, Texas, and ADC site Utah immediately confirmed presence of objects on their scopes.

At approximately 1050Z object

appeared to stop. and aircraft over shot. Utah reported they lost object from scopes at this time. and ECM #2 also lost signal.

Chase, in reply to my questions, indicated that it was his recollection that there was simultaneity between the moment when he began to sense that he was getting closure at approximately the RB-47 speed. and the moment when Utah indicated that their target had stopped on their scopes. He said he veered a bit to avoid colliding with the object, not then being sure what its altitude was relative to the RB-47. and then found that he was coming over the top of it as he proceeded to close. At the instant that it blinked out visually and disappeared simultaneously from the 2 monitor and from the radar scopes at Site Utah, it was at a depression angle relative to his position of something like 4" dog.

Chase put the RB-7 into a port turn in the vicinity of General Welis. Texas (Point E). and he and McCold looked over their shoulders to try to spot the luminous source again. All of the men recalled the near simultaneity with which the object blinked on again visually. appeared on the #2 scope. and was again skin-painted by ground radar at Site Utah. The 1957 report describes these events as follows: