Case Directory
  Category 1, Distant Encounters 
 
  Preliminary Rating: 5  

                                   
     

A Hynek Classification of Distant Encounter is usually an incident involving an object more than 500 feet from the witness. At night it is classified as a "nocturnal light" (NL) and during the day as a "daylight disc" (DD). The size of the object or the viewing conditions may render the object in greater detail but yet not qualify the sighting as a Close Encounter which is an object within 500'. 

100' Cigar Observed By AF Captain
July 1, 1952
Lexington, Massachussets

Brad Sparks:
July 1, 1952. Boston, Lynn and Bedford, Mass (BBU)
7:25-7:30 a.m. (EDT). 2 F-94's scrambled (at 7:25?) to intercept UFO that a GOC spotter saw heading SW over Boston, no radar contact and F-94's searched area found nothing. Erwin W. Nelson and wife at Lynn (9 mi NE of Boston) at 7:31-7:34 noticed two vapor trails from the climbing jets, looked around, saw in the W a bright silver "cigar shaped object about six times as long as it was wide" heading SW over Boston at a very high altitude, speed a little faster than the two jets. An identical UFO was following the first some distance back. No vapor trails. Witnesses watched the F-94's search back and forth far below the UFO's. At 7:30 AF Capt. Robert E. Metcalf, Petroleum Officer, 6520th Supply Sq, 6520th Test Support Wing, and USAF air policemen MSgt James Stiner and MSgt Joseph R. Bosh, 6520th Air Police Sq., near Hangar B, Hanscom Field, Bedford, Mass. (15 mi NW of Boston, W of Lynn) saw the two jets, looked for what they were intercepting and saw to the E [?] a 100 ft long silvery ellipse “fatter than a cigar” traveling SW but did not spot the 2nd UFO. At two points object seemed to hover for a few secs, then continued at about 40,000 ft. Object path intersected contrails of the two jets heading SE. Metcalf lost sight of object on his way to the Tower after a few (2-3?) mins then caught sight again at about 7:40, noting it had increased distance “considerably,” but lost it at the Tower and unable to see it with unaided eye or 7x50mm binoculars. (Sparks; Maxwell BB Microfilm Roll 11, pp. 485ff.Ruppelt).

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