Feb. 15, 1954; Near Savannah River AEC site, South Carolina (BBU)

10:15-10:36 p.m. (EST). USAF ADC radar operator S/Sgt. K. A. Payne, 728th AC&W Sq, Dobbins AFB, Greenville, South Carolina, using MPS-7 radar tracked high speed unidentified target the size of about 2 normal aircraft to the S at 203° azimuth at roughly 100 miles range (at about 33.5° N, 83.0° W, near Siloam, Ga.) heading E about 100° true at about 360 knots (400 mph) and 20,000 ft altitude as of 10:18 p.m. (when near Crawfordville). At 10:21 at about 33°28' N, 82° 5' W (near Augusta) the target had reached 22,000 ft and turned slightly right to about a 110° heading straight toward the Savannah River AEC plant and accelerating to operator estimated speed of 900 knots (1,000 mph) average speed (or as recalculated from mapped positions about 750 mph, probable peak speed about 1,000 mph at 1 g at 10:21:30), then it violated the prohibited AEC airspace at 10:22 at about 33°24' N, 81°53' W. Pope AFB radar also tracked the target violating AEC airspace and notified Payne at Dobbins AFB. At that point at 10:22:30 (?) object had made a left turn to about a 75° heading, slowing to about 600 mph and continued turning to about 55° heading. At 10:23 at about 33°30' N, 81°39' W (near New Ellenton, S.C.), target made a sharp 75° turn to the N at about 340° heading having accelerated again to about 1,200 mph average speed (probable peak speed about 1,800 mph at 1.5 g's at 10:22:45) heading out of the AEC prohibited zone. Target slowed to about 600 mph again by 10:24 near Aiken when it sharply turned to the E on a heading of about 70° then 50° then 45° while passing to the S of Columbia, then turned N to a heading of about 20° where it faded near Kershaw at 10:36 p.m. (Brad Sparks, Jan Aldrich)