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Page ID (PID)
NARA-PBB88-630
Collection
National Archives (NARA)
Page 630 of 1463
Roll Description
NARA Blue Book Roll 88
Document Code
T1206-88
NARA-PBB88-628
NARA-PBB88-629
NARA-PBB88-630
NARA-PBB88-631
NARA-PBB88-632
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Page Text
OBJECT On 2U April 19li9, at 3 niles north of Arrey, Mew Mexico, U Navy enlisted men''''from shite Sands ft-oving Ground (Chief Alters, Davidson, ritzaiasncns and Hoernan) and I saw a rapidly moving object while Making a pibal''''-wind run. ^a released a 33>O gram balloon at about 1020 JdST and Tiara following; it with a standard ML-U7 David IShita Theodolite. After the 1030 reading, Eavidson took over the fchacdolita, and Akers and I looked up to find the balloon with naked eya. ^e thought we had tha balloon T;hen e picked up" a whitish spherical object right along tha direction the "theodolite (k$- elevation and 210 asimith) ^as pointing. Tha object -Has \ drifting east rapidly (5/sec. as estimated by stopwatch and -width of fingers) ^but wa had though! to encounter siasilar winds on the balloon. %en the dif- ^^ference in angle between the theodolite and supposed balloon became apparent, II;I took over the theodoliteand found the true balloon still there, whereupon ;;;|I abandoned it and picked up tha object after it came out of the sun (This ^ gives another good bearing and if you wish to work out a sun shot at 1033 HST at Array). The- object was moving too fa3t to crank tha theodolite around, therefore one of the men pointed the theodolite and I looked. Tha object was an ellipsoid about 2f : 1 slander ness ratio, length about .02 subtended angle, shite in color, except for a light yellow of one side as though it were in shadow. Ixcould not get a hard focus on the object due to the speed at which the angles changed. Therefore I 3aw no good. detail at all. The Azimuth angle continued to decrease as the objact continued on a north heading, growing saaller i.n size. At around 20 - 2 $ Aaixeath, jthe : Aziaaith held constant and the elevation angla began increasing from thie 25 '''' aihimum to about 29. ^o object then apparently disappeared duo to distance after a total tine of observation of about 60 seconds. - '''' The object was not a ^balloon and was some distance away. Assuming escape a track is enclosed which f igure''''s eliavation''''abbva "tha" station of about 300,000 feet over the observed period. If this is trua, the flirht would have probably gone- over the Shite Sands Proving Ground, Eolloroan Air ?orce Base ? and Lcs Alamos* We sade another pibal wind run \$ ainutea later* This balloon burst after an 33 minute, flight of 93,000 feet only 13 aila# din?- sooth of us. Therefore- this object could not have been a free balloon aovlnsr at''''such angxilaj- spoed below 90,000 feet. . '''' ''''''''''''! SOTS: No clouds in sky, no haze.. }Jo noise. Very quiet in area. No cars, planes or other engines running. No trail. Mo cdor. Minneapolis 13, Sinn. Geneva 0371 2 33$
68653
Page 630 of 1463