Date: March 3, 1953 BBU
Location: 130 miles W of Luke AFB, Phoenix, Ariz., near Blythe, Calif.
Time: 1:25-1:32 p.m. (MST).
Summary: USAF Capt. Roderick D. Thompson, 3600th Fighter Training Group, Luke AFB, instructor pilot in an F-84 at 25,000 ft 500 mph TAS heading 305° Mag spotted 300-500 ft wide aircraft leaving contrail crossing his path at 2 [10?] o’clock high position from left to right at about 35,000 to 45,000 ft and about 400 mph TAS, visible only by condensation vapor emitted from manta-ray shape flat surface. Student pilots of two F-84’s, Lt. Jack E. Brasher and Lt. Thomas W. Hale, saw the object but did not follow the pursuit. When Thompson turned (right?) to pursue object climbing at full power at about 560 mph, object made slight dipping turn to NW and began climbing at about 20° angle and object appeared to be very thin, and immediately began to form a heavy condensation trail behind it for roughly 1,000 ft and split in two for about 1,000 ft but which ended abruptly and moved with the object, the trail not being left behind. Thompson reached 30,000 ft and closed to within roughly 5-10 miles of object to a point over Colorado River N of Parker Dam, about 70 miles N of Blythe, when he took 151 frames or about 30 ft [6 ft?] of gun camera film of object, 16 mm N-9 camera, apparently at 16 fps 1/40 sec exposure setting.
Source: BB Rpt 11; NICAP website; McDonald list; Ruppelt pp. 229-230; FUFOR Index
Date: March 5, 1953 BBU
Location: Congaree AFB, South Carolina
Time: 3:45 p.m. (EST
Summary: The assistant director of security at the Savannah River Project, Mr. J. Howard Jones, observed a silver crescent-shaped object at a very high altitude over the project. The 727th AC&W Squadron at Congaree, South Carolina, was notified of this sighting. They picked up an unidentified plot on their AN/ASP-5 type radar at 5:07 p.m. (EST), that was approximately 65 miles SW of Congaree over the Savannah River Project. An ANG F-51 attempted interception until 5:25 p.m., when the blip faded northwest of Congaree. At 5:52 p.m. another detachment of the 727th AC&W Squadron at Camden, South Carolina, picked up a blip on their AN/TPS-1B type radar. An F-80 type aircraft was scrambled to attempt interception. This blip was due west of Congaree. The radar operator had the F-80 do an identification turn. This proved that he did not have the F-80 on the scope. When the blip was first observed it was approximately 100 miles west of Congaree. The blip then reversed its direction and was 85 miles out heading in a NW direction, then headed east, then west, and again to the east, fading at 115 miles and 8 degrees from Camden. For a total of 68 minutes during both radar sightings, aircraft attempted to intercept the unidentified object with negative results. At all times the object stayed at an estimated 20,000 feet altitude and was doing 200-220 mph.
Source: Dan Wilson, footnotes.com
Date: March 5, 1953 BBU
Location: Shaw AFB, South Carolina
Time: 5:07 p.m. (EST)
Summary:
Source: McDonald list
Date: March 7, 1953
Location: Yuma, Arizona
Time:
Summary: Air Force officers at a gunnery meet observed about 12 disc-shaped objects that dove down and hovered over the base during the meet.
Source: AP story, Mar. 9th; UFOE, III]
Date: March 9, 1953 BBU
Location: Ashiya AFB, Kyushu, Japan
Time: 6:30 a.m.
Summary:
Source: McDonald list; FUFOR Index
Date: March 10-11, 1953 BBU 2490
Location: Hackettstown, New Jersey
Time: 4 [2?] a.m. (EST).
Summary: Mrs. Nina Cook, an experienced private pilot and wife of a Pan Am flight engineer, saw a large light blinking at 10-15 times per minute, move up and down along a mountain range. Earlier sighting at 9 p.m.?
Source: Berliner; FUFOR Index
Date: March 12, 1953
Location: east at RCAF Station Chatham in New Brunswick
Time: 12:55 Atlantic Standard Time.
Summary: ;
Similar to occurrence ( Presque Isle, Maine Jan.29,53), this event occurred about 125 miles to the Brunswick. The sighting took place from the base by one officer in the tower and one airborne Harvard (Harvard =T-6 Texan-USAF or SNJ-USN) pilot. Brilliant silver disc travelling at 500 knots. Transitioned from level flight to steep climb. Spotted from both the ground and in the air. Photos taken from Harvard but did not turn out. Observed continuously for estimated four minutes.
Source: Don Ledger
Date: March 14, 1953 BBU 2496
Location: N. of Hiroshima, Japan
Time: 11:45 p.m.
Summary: USN pilot Lt. Wooton, copilot Lt. J. S. Rose, navigator Lt. D. W. Carey, Capt. G. E. Truelove, radarmen G. F. Delmel and R. D. Kelly, radiomen J. Schaefer and J. L. Chavers, other crewmen L. B. Brown and G. E. Noiseux of U.S. Navy P2V-5 patrol plane saw groups of 5-10 colored lights, totaling 90-100, slowly move aft of the left side of the airplane at a range of 3-7 miles as estimated by copilot. Unidentified target tracked at 7 miles range by airborne APS-20 radar from 45° to 250° relative bearing.
Source: Jan Aldrich; NICAP
Date: March 20, 1953: Kingman Arizona UFO crash
Date: March 20, 1953 BBU
Location: Pork Chop Hill, [Old Baldy?] Korea
Time: 11 p.m.
Summary: “AP radio news service summary of April 5, 1953, indicates that luminous objects traveling at supersonic speeds have been observed and tracked on radar within the past few days in Pork Chop and Old Baldy Hills area, Western Korean Front.”
Source: McDonald list; FUFOR Index
Date: March 21, 1953 BBU 2511
Location: Elmira, New York
Time: 3:05 p.m. (EST)
Summary: 4 GOC observers at GOC observation post saw 6 discs in a group fly high and fast.
Source: Berliner; FUFOR Index
Date: March 21, 1953
Location: Prescott, Arizona
Time:
Summary: Sighting from aircraft. Beers case
Source:
Date: March 22 1953
Location: Tujunga Canyon California
Time: 0200A
Summary: Sarah Shaw & Jan Whitley were staying in a remote cabin when they awakened to find all sounds outside had ceased and a blue-white light moving outside casting shadows across the walls. Jan got out of bed then felt a headache and a sense of coldness. A sensation of giddiness and confusion overcame both women whose conscious memory then lapsed until 0420A. Under hypnosis Sarah recalled that several beings approached the cabin and passed through a closed window and the kitchen door. Eight shadowy beings entered the cabin and placed their hands on the two women and apparently took control over them. The beings were humanoids of slender build, with narrow shoulders and long arms. Their skin felt dry and cold. Their faces were oval and hairless, featureless except for the eyes, which were narrow and long and appeared covered with a membrane. A ski mask seemed to cover their faces, leaving holes for the eyes. They also wore black skintight coveralls, mittens, and boots. Most of the beings were 5-feet tall and most of these had oval heads. Some had heads wider at the bottom that at the top and were apparently female. Two taller beings appeared to be the leaders. The beings took both women into a hovering Saturn-shaped craft, with a rim or platform around it. It glowed with various colors and made a whining sound. Sarah felt herself floating into the craft on a beam of light. She felt tranquil, unafraid and even enjoyed the experience. But Jan resisted the beings and she was rendered unconscious by an injection and was carried inside. In a large domed room both women were then extensively examined and scanned. Throughout the examination a tall being directed the work from a balcony-like extension on a wall. He wore a light colored suit with black stripes and his hands were bare, showing gray flesh.
Source: Ann Druffel, Idabel Epperson & D Scott Rogo
Date: March 23, 1953 BBU
Location: Pasadena, Texas
Time: 9:55 p.m.
Summary: Lt. Robert K. Smith observed a object with a red light traveling in large circles over Pasadena. Information on the sighting was passed on to the 747th AC&W Squadron. They radar scanned the area and could not locate the object. Members of the 747th AC&W Squadron went outside and saw the object over the area of Pasadena. At around 10:12 p.m the unknown object was sighted on the radar screen and held there for 25 seconds. The total length of the observation was 30 minutes.
Source: McDonald list; FUFOR Index
Date: March 25, 1953 BBU 2521
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Time: 3:05 [11:15 CST ?] p.m.
Summary: USAF Capt. and Mrs. D. E. Cox saw several lights, some moving straight, others making 360° turns. ()
Source: Berliner; FUFOR Index
Date: March 25, 1953 BBU
Location: Nouasseur AFB, Rabat, French Morocco
Time: 9:23-10:15 p.m. (GMT).
Summary: Majors Radin and Rend plus 1+ crew of C-47 at 5,000 ft saw white light above at 7,000 to 8,000 ft maneuvering in spiral pattern over airfield, descend and land on airbase S of runways at 9:28 p.m. visible until suddenly blinked out on the ground at about 10:15.
Source: Hynek UFO Rpt pp. 83-87; FUFOR Index
Date: March 27, 1953 BBU 2524
Location: Mount Taylor, New Mexico
Time: 7:25 p.m. (MST).
Summary: Pilot of USAF F-86 jet fighter at 600 knots (700 mph) saw and chased a bright orange circle flying at 800 knots (900 mph), and executing three fast rolls.
Source: Berliner; FUFOR Index
Date: March 29, 1953 BBU 2526
Location: Spooner, WI.
Time: 3:45 p.m. (CST).
Summary: L. C. Gillette saw an aluminum, circular object fly high and fast, twice reversing its course. Note: Gillette saw a similar object in 1938.
Source: Berliner; FUFOR Index
Date: March 31, 1953
Location: 16 miles west of Williams AFB, Arizona
Time: 1:45 p.m. MST
Summary: A civilian test pilot in an aircraft traveling in a NW direction at 4,000 feet at 175 mph observed a silver disc-shaped object traveling from north to south at a terrific rate of speed. The size of the object was estimated at 3 feet or larger. A pibal weather balloon was scheduled to be launched at 2:00 p.m. MST (2100Z) 15 minutes after the sighting. The length of observation was 10 seconds. DATE – TIME GROUP 31/2045Z CIRVIS Report. ()
Source: Dan Wilson
Date: March 31, 1953 BBU
Location: Honshu, Japan
Time: 7:35 p.m. local time.
Summary: Major Eugene S. Williams flying an F-84 aircraft at 30,000 feet at a speed of 300-350 mph observed a very bright light about 20 degrees above the horizon on a magnetic bearing of 330 degrees. It appeared to be a round white object with a red leg protruding from the lower left side and a blue leg protruding from the lower right side. During the sighting the object seemed to drop to a lower altitude and grow bigger and brighter. It seemed to “pull off and leave” the pilot who had attempted to pursue the object after it had move from 330 degrees to 290 degrees. Major Williams chased the object for a period of 10 minutes, but it appeared to move out of sight. The total length of observation was 30 minutes.
Source: Dan Wilson, McDonald list; FUFOR Index
Date: March 1953
Location:
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Summary:
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