RADCAT Case Directory
  Category 9, RADAR  
 
  Preliminary Rating: 5  

                                   
     

RADCAT is a revitalized special project now being conducted jointly by NICAP & Project 1947 with the help and cooperation of the original compiler of RADCAT, Martin Shough, to create a comprehensive listing of radar cases with detailed documentation from all previous catalogues, including UFOCAT and original RADCAT.

Gun Camera R/V Case
Aug. 1, 1952
Bellefontaine, Ohio

Francis Ridge:
This report is case #20, on the official clearance list. of 41 formerly classified Air Technical Intelligence UFO reports cleared for Maj. Donald E. Keyhoe by Albert M. Chop, Air Force Press Desk. In Donald Keyhoe' s book, "Flying Saucers From Outer Space", the account on page 107 mentions that at 10:51 a.m. (Ohio time), August 1, 1952, radarmen at a GCI post had spotted a fast-moving UFO. The Intelligence report included the ATIC analysis. Later I found an unclassified copy. And thanks to William Wise (Project Blue Book Archive) and Dan Wilson (BB Archive Researcher), we have further documentation. This case illustrates the accuracy of some of the earlier books, and also shows that the Air Force actually listed this case as an Unknown. Some strange things were going on in the region that day.  See my report below.

Brad Sparks:
Aug. 1, 1952; Nr. Troy [radar at Bellefontaine], Ohio (BBU)
10:51-11:13 a.m. (EST). USAF ADC radar site 664th AC&W Sq at Bellefontaine atop Campbell Hill at 1549 ft elevation (40°22'20" N, 83°43'10" W). tracked target 20 miles NNW of Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio, traveling 400-450 knots (500 mph) on a heading of 240° about WSW and vectored 2 F-86's piloted by Major James B. Smith and Lt. Donald J. Hemer, located 10 miles SW of the UFO. Jets made visual contact in 4 mins at 10:55, climbed to 48,000 ft, fell off, climbed again to 48,000 ft and Smith got a weak return on his radar gun sight, shot gun camera film of the 24-40 ft white round object or silver-colored sphere or disc estimated at 60,000­70,000 ft and filmed by gun camera a white round object [which then took off at high speed ?]. F-86s broke off intercept at about 11:05 or 11:13 a.m., apparently about 100 miles WSW of Dayton. Film reportedly shows UFO image in the upper right of the frames with noticeable motion to the lower left. 22 mins. (BB Rpt 8; cf. Ruppelt pp. 174-6; Keyhoe 1953 p. 107)

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