Form: Report
Dated: Undated
From: Brad Sparks
Subject: Archie 29 KC-97 Radar Case (BBU), July 5, 1955, Newfoundland, Canada
Dated: Undated
From: Brad Sparks
Subject: Archie 29 KC-97 Radar Case (BBU), July 5, 1955, Newfoundland, Canada
| 3:00-3:56 a.m. (AST). At
3:00 a.m., USAF 97th Air
Refueling Sq pilot Lt. Homer H. Speer and copilot Lt Paul Daily of
KC-97 call sign Archie 29, and pilot Lt. Robert W. Schneck and copilot
Lt. David Cueldner (sp?) of KC-97 Archie 91, both planes at 20,000 ft
on a refueling mission out of Harmon AFB (48°32.7'N,
58°33.0'W), saw 2 bright objects at 49°10' N, 59°50' W, at
20,000 ft appearing stationary. They reported sighting to Harmon
at 3:05, made contact with radar site, 2nd Lt. Charles H. Denney,
Senior Director, USAF ADC site N-23 (Air Defense Direction Center,
640th AC&W Sq, Harmon AFB, Stephenville, Newf., CPS-6B search and
height-finder radar, TPS-502 backup height-finder, at 48°35.3' N,
58°40' W). Radar painted object at 3:07 with intermittent
contact till 3:56 (also 4-5 additional objects). Archie 29 KC-97
in best position to close on object ordered to do so by Harmon,
position 290° from radar site at about 80 miles, 10 o'clock to
KC-97 [inconsistent with lat-long coords]. Objects started moving
to NE at 50° true heading accelerating to 275 knots (300 mph)
faster than Archie 29 KC-97. After object reversed course to S
heading, pilot Lt. Speer of Archie 29 reached closest approach to 18
miles distance, maintained visual contact with object calling direction
changes of object to radar site by radio, changes correlated exactly
with those painted on scope by controller. Brief height-finder radar
contact at 35,000 ft. Object began climbing at 3:38 a.m. and
fighters scrambled, no radar or visual contact made. Speer lost
sight of object at about 40,000-50,000 ft. Radar then tracked
object accelerating to 1,600 knots (1,800 mph) moving off to NE.
At same times radar also painted 5 smaller objects at 5,000-10,000 ft
(briefly detected on height-finder) and thus below the KC-97's at
30° true [heading??], 60 miles from radar, [inconsistent with other
coords] moving very fast, changing direction and azimuth, jumping on
and off scopes, forming circular pattern, changing to line abreast,
traveling 10-20 miles then changing direction, speed 1,500+ knots
(1,700+ mph). Radar tracked about 4 objects at point of initial
sighting on 40° true heading, speed 300 knots (350 mph).
Objects at 3:40 a.m. at 50°10' N, 57°50' [?] W. One C-119
aircraft en route from Goose Bay passed within 5 miles of the objects,
not known if seen. Radar targets confirmed by 1st Lt. Anthony G.
Scarpace (sp?), Ground Electronics Officer of 670th ACW Sq, who found
radar operating properly and no inversion effects present.
Investigated by NEAC AFSSO (AF Special Security Office), reported to
AFSS (NSA subunit not to be confused with AFSSO compartmented security
agency), NSA and CIA. (Sparks; CIA, AF, NSA FOIA;
Project 1947) 56 mins 11+ witnesses RVJ |