Created: 5 February 2006, Updated 6 Jan 2007
This is an 18-page report on an on-going project involving a number of people. With the help of William Wise (Project Blue Book Archive), and Dan Wilson (archive case researcher), the task becomes much easier. But without Brad Sparks' updated list, the Comprehensive Catalog of Project Blue Book Unknowns, the entire project would have been impossible. And our thanks also go to Jean Waskiewicz (Global Sighting Information Database) that helped make it possible to link from the cases to the reports themselves. Incidents with designation "Cat." on line two (the beginning of the description line) are from specific sighting catalogs, such as Cat. 3 (E-M cases from Mark Rodeghier's "UFO Reports Involving Vehicle Interference (441 Cases).") and Cat. 4 (Joan Woodward's Animal Reaction Database).




The 1957 UFO Chronology                                                                                                            

1957; Rouen, France (photo/hoax)
First thought to have been taken in March of 1954, it is now certain that the clean, sharp, detailed version we have become accustomed to from the RAF Flying Review for the Rouen photo, is a doctored version of the Trent image. The question now becomes, who doctored it up and why?





March 6, 1957; Great Meadows-Hope, New Jersey (BBU)
2 p.m. Martins attention drawn by barking dogs looking up at white derby-hat-shaped object 50+ ft wide hovering low over a field about 450 ft away with a gentle rocking motion and streamers underneath like tinsel. Object suddenly took off almost vertically to the NE without sound disappearing into cloud bank. (Hynek UFO Rpt pp. 151-4; FUFOR Index) 1 min +




March 23 [22?], 1957; Oxnard AFB, Calif. (BBU)
11:15 p.m. (PST). Beaudoin and several independent witnesses saw maneuvering lights. (Hynek UFO Rpt pp. 53-54; FUFOR Index) 5 hrs 45 mins ?

March 23, 1957; Long Beach, California
Four UFOs tracked on CAA radar, widespread visual sightings. [UFOE, VIII]

March 27, 1957; Roswell, New Mexico (BBU)
8:35 p.m. USAF pilot Lt. Sontheimer flying C-45 transport saw to the left 3 bright white circular objects in tight formation on collision course. He immediately flashed his taxi lights, one object shot straight up above him the other 2 continued on passing in front. When he flashed his taxi lights (again?) the objects instantly blinked out and disappeared. (Weinstein; NARCAP; FUFOR Index) 6 secs

March 28, 1957; Reseda, California
At 2235 hours, a cigar-shaped, golden in color, glowing object was observed at approximately 60 degrees above the horizon to the west of Reseda, California. The object had an elliptical glow surrounding the cigar-shaped core which was approximately five time brighter than the outer light. The object was observed for approximately 3 to 5 minutes.

March 29, 1957; Off East Coast, Florida
Pan American Airways pilot observed brilliant pulsating light, confirmed by radar. [UFOE, V]


April 14, 1957; 1/2 mile E of Vins sur Caramy, France ( (BBU)
3 p.m. Mrs. Marie Garcin and Mrs. Julia Rami walking NE on Road D24 heard a loud deafening noise and saw about 300 ft ahead of them a 5 ft tall 3 ft wide metallic top­shaped object covered with vibrating sharp spines landing near a road sign which started to vibrate loudly, then the object hopped over the road at a height of about 15-30 ft, the women cried out and another witness Mr. Jules Boglio about 1,000 ft away looked and with the women saw the object land (a 2nd time) in the next road, then jump over another road sign which then vibrated with loud noise. 2 other witnesses reportedly saw the object at a much greater distance. (Hynek UFO Exp ch. 9, case CEII­ 16; Mark Cashman) 1-2 mins

April 19, 1957; Maiquetia, Venezula
Cat. 3. Airliner en route to Maiquetia sighted UFO; strange radio signals received at Maiquetia airport at same time.


April 25, 1957; Ringgold, Louisiana (BBU)
2:30 a.m. (CST). Military witness Robertson. Case missing. (NARA; FUFOR Index) 25 mins

April 29, 1957; Virginia, MN
10:15 p.m.  Robert Lerdahl and Alex Ellison saw about 36 UFOs which passed overhead in groups of 6 and 8 during a forty minute period. The UFOs, giving off a greenish light, traveled from east to west at a steady speed, taking about 8 seconds to go from horizon to horizon. Through 16X50 binoculars, the objects appeared to be flattened or disc-like and they moved in crescent formation. (UFO INVESTIGATOR / JULY - AUG 1960, page 7)

April or May, 1957; Moriah Center, New York
"Television started to have all sorts of trouble"; witness called out-doors in time to see red disc pass overhead.

May 2, 1957; Edwards AFB, Cal.
 
May 4 [5?], 1957; Near Calif. coast ( (BBU)
3:25 a.m. (PDT) [4 a.m. PDT?]. USAF copilot of radar patrol aircraft with 552nd AEW&C Wing saw a yellowish-red light at 10,000 ft pass in front of aircraft. (Weinstein; FUFOR Index) 30 secs

May 12, 1957; Moab, Utah
Round, blue-green UFO sped past below observer's altitude. [UFOE, IV]



May 31, 1957; Kent, UK
Cat.3. Airliner suffered radio failure during UFO sighting. Normal functions returned when UFO left.

June 3, 1957; Shreveport to Converse, Louisiana (BBU)
8:30 [9:35?] -9:30? p.m. (CST). Shortly after takeoff from Shreveport Airport, heading for Lake Charles, La., and climbing, Capt. Lynn Kern and FO Abbey Zimmerman flying Trans-Texas Airlines Flight 103 were told by the control tower that a small light was visible nearby. They saw the star-like blue-green pulsating [?] object hovering (approaching?) at their 10 [2?] o'clock position at about 400 ft then climbing rapidly to 1,000 ft paralleling the airliner then at 110 knots speed (130 mph later 165 mph) but at higher altitude and 1/2 mile away. Kern flashed landing lights and object responded with a beam [?] of light. 2nd blue-green pulsating object joined the first on the opposite side of the airliner (then at 9,000 ft), air crew confirmed from tower that it had both objects on radar and visually through binoculars, objects headed S at 170° climbing to about 10,000 ft and followed airliner to Converse, La., (about 45 miles S of Shreveport) where pilot queried ADC radar site, England AFS, Alexandria, La., which confirmed the 2 targets in the airliner's vicinity at 9,700 ft. Objects disappeared from sight in a cloud deck to the SW. (Hynek UFO Exp ch. 7, case RV-6; NARCAP) 1 hr ?



July 18, 1957; Mt. Lemmon, Ariz. (BBU)
10:46-11:20 p.m. (MST). USAF ADC radar station 684th ACWRON, Mt. Lemmon AFS, Senior Director Capt. Claiborne F. Bickham and crew using both MPS-7 L-band search and MPS-14 S-band height-finder radars tracked a stationary target at 42,000 ft to the NW at 308° azimuth 82 miles range (S of Chandler, Ariz.). Target responded to encrypted military IFF Mode 3 transponder signals, transmitted encrypted responses resulting in "normal Mode 3 paint" on radar scopes, and "a very slight strobe came from object appearing like ECM jamming." (Jan Aldrich) 34 mins

Sept. 20, 1957; Nr. Buffalo, New York
Several CIA documents confirm that an unidentified flying object (UFO) was tracked by US radars. It was flying on a relatively straight course from the eastern tip of Long Island to the vicinity of Buffalo. The object was reportedly moving westward at an altitude of 50,000 feet and speed of 2,000 knots. "Jamming" was reported by several radars in this vicinity and westward as far as Chicago. (CUFON, Ridge files, foia.cia.gov site)
 
July 24, 1957; Nemuro Strait, Japan (BBU)
10 a.m. 2 USAF pilots flying F-86 jet fighters scrambled to intercept disc-shaped object, tracked by ground radar and seen by ground witnesses. (Weinstein; BB files??)
 




August 1, 1957; Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Large glowing object hovered 20 minutes, sped away. [UFOE, VII]

Aug. 3, 1957; About 175 miles SW of San Francisco, Calif. ( (BBU)
7:45-8:24 a.m. (PDT). USAF 965th Aircraft Early Warning & Control Sq (552nd AEW&C Wing), pilot 1st Lt. Robert J. Springer, Jr., Tech. Sgt. Herman L. Giles, and 16 other air crewmen, while on routine Airborne Operations Center radar early warning patrol over the Pacific aboard RC-121D aircraft (s/n 53-3400) detected a target on IFF Mode 2 transponder only. At 7:56 the IFF target became a direct radar "skinpaint," at 8:02 the IFF equipment APX-6/APX-7 was turned off but target was still tracked on airborne radar. At 8:15 target was at 2 o'clock position 10 miles range when aircraft started a right turn to reverse course putting target at dead ahead and target "suddenly" took off to the NW at "very high" speed, disappearing at 58 miles range (within 1-2 mins? at 1,800-3,600 mph?). Regained radar contact at 8:18 at 1 o'clock position 22 miles range moving right to left, crossed in front of aircraft again, closing distance to 8 miles at 11 o'clock position at 8:20 when target turned to head on parallel path. Lost contact at 8:24 at 7 o'clock position behind the plane at 15 miles, IFF remaining off, no visuals. (Jan Aldrich) 37-39 mins


Aug. 27, 1957; Dry Tortugas, Florida (BBU)
4:45 p.m. (EDT?). Crew of military aircraft saw an object with bright red to reddish-yellow pulsating light, tracked by ground radar. (Project 1947)

Sept. 17, 1957; Ft. Devens, Mass.
Army report on eight round, orange UFOs which flew over base, one oscillating up and down. [UFOE, IV]


Sept. 20, 1957; Montauk, New York - Benton, Penna. (BBU)
4 p.m. High speed 2,300 mph radar target on E-W path at 50,000 ft altitude tracked by multiple radars, including 1-min track by FPS-3 at Montauk Point and 9 mins by CPS-6B at Benton, from E Long Island to Buffalo, New York (with alleged 11 min gap in between??), triggering a White House alert, high level CIA, USAF Intelligence, IAC Watch Committee meetings. Speed varied from 1,500 to 4,500 mph. (FOIA; Sparks, FBI/CIA docs - Ridge) 20+ mins ?

Sept. 26, 1957; Paris, France
Confidential report, from U.S. Embassy officer and wife, of bright elliptical UFO. [UFOE, X]

October 1, 1957; Shippingport, Pennsylvania
From the direction of the nearby town of Ohioville something strange approached at an altitude of 2,000 feet.  The two men spotted it and were astonished.  The thing was a big luminous torpedo they estimated was 200 feet long.  The top half was green-colored and the bottom half was reddish-orange. It was the  witness' opinion the mystery ship made a U-turn over the nuclear facility.  This suggestion was taken seriously by the Air Force and the FBI."  (The Beaver County Times, Beaver, Pennsylvania, 8 November 1957.)


October 7, 1957; Cape Canaveral, Fla.
White oval object seen near Cape for second consecutive night. [UFOE, XII]

October 8, 1957; Bua Province, Fiji Islands
Natives in small boat saw UFO descend vertically, hover about 20 feet above sea.

October 8, 1957; Nr. Boston, Mass.
Pan American Airways pilot saw a brilliant object flying at high speed in daylight. [UFOE, V]

Oct. 8, 1957; Seattle, Wash. (BBU 5003)
9:17 a.m. 2 U.S. Army sergeants saw 2 flat, round, white objects fly in trail formation along an irregular path, frequently banking. (Berliner) 25-30 secs

Oct.12, 1957; near Martha's Vineyard, MA
3:20 p.m.  Three members of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Ronald A. Veeder, Capt. Scott Bray, and Capt. Eugene Mysona, with these three men were two fliers from Charleston, South Carolina, one a Air Force jet pilot. All five men where aboard Veeder's boat, the Sports Fisherman. At 3:20 p.m., a strange round object bearing southeast approached the boat at high speed. As seen by Veeder and the others, through binoculars, the UFO appeared to be a sphere with sensing elements or spikes protruding from it. The tips of the "spikes" were red. The object hovered for about two minutes then took off to the southwest at a speed greater than any object the witnesses had ever seen. The sighting was reported to Otis AFB, Mass. (UFO Investigator / JULY - AUG 1960, page 6)

October 15, 1957; Covington, Indiana
Farmer reported silver disc which hovered over his combine as he worked in field; combine engine failed when UFO rose. [UFOE, VIII]

October 15, 1957; Minas Gerais State, Brazil
Villas Boas abduction, sexual encounter case (UFOE, section XIII).

October 16, 1957; Australia
Round UFO sighted by former Commander-in-Chief of Royal Australian Air Force. [UFOE, X]

October 22, 1957; Pittsburgh, Pa.
Family saw six UFOs in two separate groups, changing position in formation. [UFOE, II]

October   23, 1957; Kent,  England
Disc traveling on edge. [UFOE, XII]

Nov. 2, 1957; 3 miles W of Canadian, Texas (BBU)
3:30 a.m. Calvin and other military/civilian witnesses saw a submarine-shaped object, red and white, 2-3x car length (40-60 ft) and about 10 ft high, at ground level. A figure was seen near the object, compared to a white flag [?]. When a car stopped nearby, a flash of light from the object coincided with the sudden failure of the headlights. (Vallée Magonia 418; FUFOR Index)

Nov. 2, 1957; Levelland, Texas
From shortly before 11:00 p.m. to about 1:30 a.m., citizens in and around the city repeatedly saw reddish or bluish-green oval or elliptical objects sitting on roadways, then taking off. Vehicles in the vicinity of the UFOs experienced electromagnetic failures, typically the headlights and engine. In one probably significant report at 12:45 a.m., Ronald Martin saw the glowing red UFO land ahead of his truck, then turn to bluish- green. The truck's electrical system failed. When the UFO took off, it turned reddish again. Among the witnesses during the evening was Sheriff Weir Clem, who was searching the roads as a result of earlier reports and saw a reddish oval cross the road, illuminating the pavement.

Nov. 2, 1957; 4 miles W of Levelland, Texas (BBU)
10:50 p.m. Pedro Saucedo and Jose Salaz driving W saw a flash of light to the right of the road then a large 200 ft long 6 ft wide blue torpedo-shaped object, with yellow flame and white smoke emitted from the rear, rose up out of the field, headed straight toward their truck, passed directly overhead at about 200 ft with a loud thundering roar, a rush of wind and great heat, causing the truck engine to die and headlights to go out, then disappeared in the E towards Levelland, and the lights came back on spontaneously and the engine was able to be restarted. (Hynek UFO Exp ch. 9; Tony Rullán; Vallée Magonia 419) 2-3 mins

Nov. 3, 1957; White Sands, New Mexico (BBU)
3 a.m. [1 p.m. MST ?] Army patrol at Stallion Site in a jeep saw an orange, "apparently controlled," luminous object on the ground near the site of the first A­bomb explosion [Trinity Site] first seen as a sun-like source 150 ft above ground, descending to ground level after 3 mins, landing a few miles away at the N end of the test grounds. (Vallée Magonia 420; FUFOR Index) 3 mins +

Nov. 3, 1957; Ararangua, Brazil
Cat. 3,11. Airliner direction finder and transmitter-receiver burnt during UFO sighting.

Nov. 3, 1957; Sao Vicente, Brazil
Cat. 3. Itaipu Fort electrical system failed, sentries received burns as UFO approached and hovered.

Nov. 3, 1957; Calgary, Alta. (near)
Cat. 3. Car motor missed, headlights flickered as UFO arced overhead.

Nov. 4, 1957; Orogrande, New Mexico
A 1:10 p. m. local time, near Orogrande, NM, James W. Stokes, a high altitude research engineer, saw an elliptical UFO sweep across the highway twice.  The car radio and the engine failed.  Stokes claimed that other drivers were also on the road, and their engines had also failed.  Stokes felt a wave of heat, and later his face appeared "sunburned."

Nov. 4, 1957; 3 miles SE of El Paso Airport, Texas (BBU)
7:30 p.m. Border Patrol inspector Burton saw egg­shaped object with bluish glow approaching from the SW at 30° elevation with whirring sound like artillery shell after car stalled and headlights dimmed and blacked out. Object passed over car at 100 ft height headed W, changing altitude at irregular intervals, rose vertically at Franklin Mtns. (Hynek UFO Rpt p. 181; FUFOR Index)

Nov. 4, 1957; Kodak, Alaska
Cat. 3. A "steady dit-dit-dit" interference on police radio during UFO sighting.

Nov. 4, 1957; Toronto, Canada
Cat. 3. TV interference (audio); viewers called out by neighbors to see UFO.

Nov. 5, 1957; Eglin AFB, Florida (BBU)
(McDonald list)

Nov. 5, 1957; About 200 [350?] miles S of Mobile and near Selma, Alabama (BBU)
5:16-5:23? a.m. US Coast Guard cutter Sebago heading NNE at 23° azimuth tracked radar target to the S at 188° azimuth range 22 miles traveling at 650 mph disappearing at 190° azimuth at 55 miles range. Visual object like a brilliant planet was seen at 5:21 for 5 secs traveling left to right from W to NW from 270° to 310° azimuth at about 31° elevation. A radar target seemingly stationary for 1 min at 5:20-21 to the N at 350° azimuth range 7 miles moved slowly towards the NE then accelerated rapidly off the scope at 15° azimuth (about NNE) at 175 miles. 3 USAF pilots at Selma saw a bright object flash from S to N, time uncertain. (UFOE, VIII; Hynek-CUFOS-Willy Smith files; cf. CR p. 165) 7 mins ?

Nov. 5, 1957; Scotia, Nebraska (BBU)
5:30 p.m. Winslow heard helicopter-like noise, smelled "burning" odor, saw a balloon-like, elongated object coming to ground level, without touching down, emanating thick smoke, then object rose again and disappeared. Witness was "paralyzed" during sighting. (Vallée Magonia 424; FUFOR Index)

Nov. 5, 1957; Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia
Cat. 3. Brilliant round orange object hovered, revolving; television blacked out.

November 5, 1957; East St. Louis, Illinois
Three Alton & Southern Railroad employees saw two silvery, egg-shaped UFOs.(UFOE)

Nov. 5, 1957; Hedley, TX
Cat. 3. Farmer saw UFO; neighbor reported TV off at same time.

Nov. 5, 1957; Hobbs, New Mexico
Cat 3. Speeding car, motor failed, lights went out as UFO swooped over car.

Nov. 6, 1957; Kagoshima, Japan (BBU)
(McDonald list)

Nov. 6, 1957; Laredo AFB, Texas (BBU)
(McDonald list)

Nov. 6, 1957; Whiteman AFB, Missouri (BBU)
(McDonald list)

Nov. 6, 1957; Santa Fe, New Mexico (BBU)

12:10 a.m. J. Martinez and A. Gallegos saw an egg-shaped object slowly coming toward them at low altitude, illuminating their car, producing a humming sound. Car engine, clock and a wristwatch stopped. Object shot away to the SW. (Vallée Magonia 425; BB files??)

Nov. 6, 1957; Boerne, Texas (BBU 5205)

6 p.m. McGregor saw an oval object, about 15 ft long, bright orange similar to glowing coals, hovering 12 ft above ground. He went to call his family but the object had vanished when he returned. Tape [?]. (cf. Vallée Magonia 431; FUFOR Index)

Nov. 6, 1957; Lake County, Ohio (BBU)

6:30 a.m. Markell saw an unbearably bright round object, much larger than a plane, landing on a ridge, then taking off again. Object had an "odd color," left no trail, made no noise. (Vallée Magonia 428; FUFOR Index)

November 6, 1957; Merom (25 miles south of Terre Haute), Indiana
Early evening, Rene Gilham, a young ironworker Haute witnessed a 30-40 foot diameter, circular object hovering 200-300 feet overhead. It was also observed by his family and neighbors across the street. Mr. Gilham stood under the object for about ten minutes in the recurrent blue light beams being projected down. The effects of the encounter put him in the hospital. (Frank Edwards, NICAP files)

Nov. 6, 1957; Montville, Ohio (BBU)