PROJECT 1947

1. Shape: circular "fireball"

2. Grapefruit

3. Greenish-blue

4. One

5. N/A

6. Bright, instantaneous flash.

7. None observed.

8. None observed.

9. The "fireball" was observed directly only by the Flight Engineer; however the light of the flash startled both pilots. The engineer was looking through a window at the rear, starboard side of the cabin. The pilots were both at their seats in the cockpit, separated from the cabin by a closed and lighted crew compartment.

1. Air-visual, direct by one observer and indirect by two.

2. None.

3. C-54D, 42-72505A, 7,000' MSL, 125° TH, 190 kts (ground speed), 153 kts lAS, 165 kts TAS, Yokota AB, Japan.

1. 130914Z February 1958.

2. Night.

1. Flight Engineer, at "Station G" window (also an emergency exit) in starboard side of cabin.

2. Aircraft Commander was in the cockpit, left seat, looking directly at the co-pilot.

3. Co-pilot was in the cockpit, right seat, scanning the left side of the instrument panel.

4. Navigator and radio operator were in the lighted crew compartment, with cockpit curtain drawn and cabin door closed, and thus were not knowledgeable of the sighting until after it had occurred.

1. Aircraft Commander: Capt William R. Faurot, 421st Air Refueling Sq, pilot, estimated to be reliable (see Comments of Preparing Officer).

2. Co-Pilot: 1st Lt Andrew S, Dehner, 421st Air Refueling Sq, pilot, reliable (see below).

3. Navigator: 1st Lt Douglas D. Smith, 421st Air Refueling Sq, navigator (see below).

4. Flight Engineer: S/Sgt James A. Isaac Jr, 421st Air Refueling Sq, flight engineer, (see below).

5. Radio Operator: S/Sgt Frank C. Harris, 6202nd Operations Sq, radio operator (see below).

1. Clear above, 2/10 scattered well below flight altitude, wind 36k/240 degrees at flight altitude.

2. Winds aloft (recorded at Wake Island 131200Z): 5M-4SE; 10M-10SE; 13.5M-10SW; 18 N-10NW; 23M-20NW; 30M-15WNW; 34M-15WNW; 38M-20WNW.  Clouds 2/10 at 2,000', visibility unlimited.

3. Ceiling: 2000' scattered.

4. Visibility: plus 15 knots.

5. Cloud cover: 2/10 at 2000'.

6. Thunderstorms: None.

This office has learned of no unusual activities which could be related to this sighting.  Specifically, no weapon tests were conducted at the Eniwetok Proving Grounds at this time.  Other sightings, which occurred before and after the event, are described below.

The aircraft fired a red-green challenge flare and orbited three times in a right-hand race-track pattern before continuing on course.  No visual sighting was made during this time.

According to ARTC Wake, a Flying Tiger Constellation was westbound at an approximate position some 70 miles south of the reporting aircraft at the time of the sighting.  One other USAF C-54D, SN-42-72523, Project DAF 53, was eastbound to Wake and landed not more than ten minutes ahead of reporting aircraft.  N-2, CINCPACFLT, reports that there were no naval surface vessels in the area at this time.  Hawaiian Sea Frontier, confirming the above, indicated there was no military air or naval activity in the area at this time.

1. Position title: Intelligence Officer, Collection Operations Division, Directorate of Collection, AC/S Intelligence, Headquarters PACAF.

2. Preliminary analysis: Other sightings which occurred before and after the one reported on suggest a possible explanation of the above.  These other sightings are described in detail in the attached transcripts.  Briefly, the aircraft commander sighted a red flashing light similar to the standard anti-collision light at approximately 0900Z.  The light remained in view just forward of the port wingtip for several minutes.  Also, sometime between O850Z and 0905Z, the aircraft commander held a blip on his APS-42 radar scope at a range of 30 miles and bearing of approximately 225 degrees relative to the aircraft.  Finally, during the first orbit, the navigator glanced at his scope and noticed a blip at a bearing of approximately 125° and barely within the five-mile range marker.  All three of these sightings were apparently made of objects at a lower altitude than the reporting aircraft.  The first radar and visual sightings could have been of the same physical object; the first radar contact might have been lost due to the 60-70° "shadow" on the APS-42 scope representing the fuselage of the aircraft.  Assuming that the two radar blips represented the same physical object — an aircraft, for example — that object would have had to be making good a ground speed of 175 knots.  If this assumption were correct, the object (or aircraft) would have been flying a converging course, at a lower altitude, passing into the radar "shadow” of the reporting aircraft between 0905 and 0910, and appearing again when the reporting aircraft reversed course to begin orbitting.  The pilot's memory of radio "chatter" during the earlier part of the mission indicates that one other aircraft was eastbound behind the reporting aircraft.  The pilot's report also indicates that another aircraft (C-54D 42-72523) landed at Wake a few minutes ahead of the reporting aircraft.  If the radar and visual sightings were of the same object, and if that object had been the aircraft named (or another aircraft), the UFO reported on herein could have been a flare fired by that aircraft.  Such flares, single-star greens, are available in the PACAF inventory.  The description of the flash would also apply — in color and intensity — to a photo-flash cartridge.  However, photo cartridges are fired down, not upward, and there is no other information to suggest an aircraft at a higher altitude at the time and place of sighting.  As a result of this preliminary investigation, it is determined that another aircraft, at a lower altitude, fired a flare at 0914Z in such a way as to cause the sighting described.  Detailed comments on the crew members’ reliability are included below:

a. Pilot - Faurot, William L. Captain, 421st Air Refueling Squadron.  A Senior Pilot, Capt Faurot has compiled over 5,000 hours military and 3,000 hours civilian flying time since 1946, almost entirely in multi-engine, transport type aircraft.  In Korea, Capt Faurot states that he flew 50 night combat missions, in B-26 type aircraft, and had occasion to observe numerous types of AAA fire, flares, and star shells.  He has seen St Elmo's fire.  The accuracy of his visual memory is confirmed by two other individuals, and, in the reporting officer's opinion, may be accepted.  His memory is vague with respect to the amount of time which may have elapsed between discreet events, as is his recollection of the sequence in which various events took place.  As evidenced by the notes attached, Capt Faurot appears to have made every effort to describe accurately the events which took place, owing in part to his personal impression that his aircraft might have been "shot at" and, thus, that a full and detailed report was of great importance.

b. Co-Pilot - Andrew Dehner, 1st Lt, 421st Air Refueling Squadron. Lt Dehner is also a Senior Pilot.  He has over 3,000 hours flying time, almost all in multi-engine, transport-type aircraft.  Like Capt Faurot, he considers flying to be his profession, and appears to be competent, stable and mature.

c. Navigator - Smith, Douglas, 1st Lt, 421st Air Refueling Squadron.  Lt Smith remembers almost nothing of the specific events which took place during the time period involved.  His interest apparently was not aroused to the point where he can remember accurately until the aircraft commenced to orbit, at which time he glanced at the scope and climbed into the astro-dome to see if he could observe any lights or flares.  His memory concerning the condition and settings of the APS-42 scope is considered probably true.  He has some 400 hours’ flying time, and this was his first long over-water mission in a C-54 aircraft.  Between Marcus Island and Wake, his navigational fixes were fairly accurate, particularly the three-station LORAN fix at 1729.  His recollection of the appearance of a radar blip, occurred suddenly, during a conversation about the radar set; the reporting officer believes that he probably saw the blip, but that the statement that this occurred during the first westbound orbit leg is not reliable, and possibly a rationalization based on the navigator's knowledge of the previous sighting.

d. Flight Engineer - Isaacs, S/Sgt, 421st Air Refueling Squadron. Sgt Isaacs has flown 3,200 hours as flight engineer on multi-engine transport-type aircraft.  His report, based on notes made immediately after the second sighting, appears to be accurate.  His memory of the sequence of events prior to the second sighting contradicts Capt Faurot’s in certain minor details; the reporting officer accepts Sgt Isaacs’ recollection in these instances primarily because his memory is based on definite actions: entering the cockpit, walking to the cabin, returning to the cockpit and switching the APS-42 to sector scan, etc.  For the same reason, Sgt Isaac’s memory of time sequence and duration is believed to be reliable.

e. Radio Operator - Harris, Franklin C., S/Sgt, 6102d Operations Squadron.  Sgt Harris appears to be an experienced and thoroughly competent radio operator, and, in the opinion of the reporting officer, was the most alert member of the crew prior to the sighting.  His memory of time intervals and of his own actions, as supported by the Radio Log, appears to be entirely accurate.  The fact that Sgt Harris did not personally participate in any of the sightings, but was keeping a log during the time period involved, supports a high estimate of his reliability in recalling the events in which he was involved.

e. General. Of the entire crew, Capt Faurot appears to be the only individual possessing a personal impression that he was possibly "shot at".  He retains this conviction despite the fact that all previous AAA bursts he had seen were reddish or orange, while this sighting involved a blue-green light.  The entire crew, Capt Faurot included, however, is aware of incidents in which multi-engine USAF transports have

disappeared while flying between Tokyo and Wake.  The rest of the crew appears to have drawn the tentative conclusion that their experience may be related to the previous disappearances.

COMMENTS OF APPROVING OFFICER:

                 H. J. K.