June 21, 1950: Hamilton AFB, California

June 21, 1950--Hamilton AFB, Calif. UFO buzzed control tower several times. [III]1

Section III has the case listed in a table2:

The source of this information came from an AP story that appeared on June 21. 

The Blue Book file

Blue Book has a case file for this event. However, it appears to have been generated in 1963, or later.³ Somebody sent them a bunch of newspaper clippings and a section of a UFO comic strip. 

A further search revealed that there was a spot intelligence report on 27 June. There was also a memorandum written on 22 June. The spot intelligence report seems to have been no different than the memo and it may have simply taken its information from that document. The memorandum seems to have the same information that appeared in the news media. Some of the more important items mentioned were:4 

Duration of sighting: 0135-0200 hours 21 June 1950

Shape: The reported shape of the object was elliptical, as that of a fan marker symbol. The object was traversing with the elongated edges to either side of its course. A blue flame similar to that of an acetylene torch was seen to protrude from the rear of the object.

Speed: Estimated over 1000 miles per hour.

Altitude: Estimated from 2000 to 5000 feet.

Sighting: By Binoculars

Heading: This object made three passes over Hamilton AFB, California. The first pass was on a north-east heading, the second on a north-west heading, and on the third it made an arc of (sic) the field, and disappeared towards the sea to the west. 

Maneuverability: All flights were straight and level, except as previously stated, when the object made the third flight over the field, when it traveled in a lateral arc. 

Sound: None heard.

The memo also noted that there was no radar contact since all the radars of the 28th air division were not operating. The memo included the log extract of the tower operator. However, I could not locate this in the files. 

Media accounts

The initial media reports contained a kernel of truth but, unfortunately, the news media got some of the information wrong and made some incorrect statements. This is how the initial report by the Oakland Tribune read:

The unidentified object which flew near Hamilton Field today was first seen at 1:35 a.m. by Corp. Roger Pryor, a control tower operator, who said he saw a blue flame shooting out as the object flashed from southwest to northeast.

“I thought it was a falling star, but it didn’t fall—it just kept on going,” he said. .

Pryor watched it speed out of sight. It returned from the same direction in which it disappeared, roaring , like thunder, but Pryor said it was going so fast he failed to see it.

His report was verified, however, by Staff Sgt. Ellis R. Lorimer, another control tower operator, and Staff Sgt. Virgil Cappuro, of the Airways Communications staff, who saw the strange disc on its subsequent passes over the field.

The three men said it was flying between 2000 and 5000 feet altitude. They said the object appeared circular, thick in the center and tapering to the edges, similar to a cone or fan.

CONTROLLED FLIGHT

The airmen used binoculars to watch it and said thai it definitely was in controlled flight. Three times it appeared to pass over the Hamilton Field radio beacon, which is just north of the field, they said.

The blue flame looked like an acetylene torch. Its maneuvers in the area lasted about 25 minutes, Pryor said. 5

Some errors that were made in reporting was that the object “roared, like thunder” and that the object was similar to a fan or cone. As the memo indicates there was no sound and that it was elliptical like a “fan marker symbol”. A fan marker symbol is found on an aeronautical chart and is just a narrow ellipse.6 It is not fan or cone shaped. Eventually, the media received more information that corrected some the errors in the initial reporting.

Garland was the first to report the flame. He said he was on duty with Lorimer in the control tower when he sighted the flame about two miles north of the tower at 1:35 a.m. yesterday. Capurro was standing outside nearby.

Lorimer said he saw it several times, traveling in opposite directions. All three agreed it finally curved out toward the ocean. Lorimer said it “looked like a falling star, then more like a flame of light on a horizontal plane, or like an acetylene torch.”7 

They agreed they saw three streaks of light, lasting about a half a second each but said they were unable to make out any object connected with the flashes.8

Pryor said the first pass was at 1:35 a. m., and the object traveled so fast he couldn’t see the subsequent approaches...They said the saucer returned from the northwest and made another pass north of the field, then later made three more approaches.9

Several early headlines indicated that there was a “roaring noise” associated with the sighting and an object was seen producing flames. However, these appear to have been misinterpretations of the initial descriptions. During the press conference, the airmen stated there was no noise and they saw no actual object:

At first, they said it made noise like “thunder,” and appeared to be traveling between 1000 and 1500 miles an hour. Later, however, they modified their story and said it was soundless, traveled fast and was about 2000 to 5000 feet in the air.

They also first reported seeing an “object” spouting a tail of flame. This story they changed to a “streak of flame.10 

Analysis/summary

The combined accounts indicate that the airmen had 3-5 sightings over 25 minutes. Each sighting only lasted a fraction of a second. The object was always elliptical in shape. They all agreed that the object(s) traveled very fast (1000-1500 mph). The object(s) did not “hover”, did not reverse direction, or make right angle turns.

The object(s) went in varying directions. The initial sighting had the object traveling from southwest to northeast. The second observation had an object originating in the northeast (or northwest depending on the source). The last sighting had an object going towards the west over the ocean. 

Initial claims describing a roaring noise were not accurate. This was probably some misinterpretation of what was stated to the news reporter. Initial reports also mentioned them seeing a shape in binoculars. It appears that, while binoculars were available, the rapid motion (they were only visible for less than a second each time) of the object prevented any detailed observations with them. 

Conclusion

There seems to be a logical explanation for what was seen. The initial sighting probably was a fireball that was extremely bright. This was followed by observations of more meteors. The subsequent meteors probably were less bright but bright enough to notice. The rate of one every five to eight minutes is about 7-12 meteors per hour. This is not much higher than the usual sporadic rate of around 6-16 an hour.11 The conclusion they were probably meteors means that this is not best evidence and should be removed from the list. 

Quelle: SUNlite 3/2020