Sighting of Unconventional Aircraft

CIA DOCUMENT

AI Summary

A CIA report detailing a sighting of an unconventional aircraft by a group of US nationals traveling by train in Azerbaijan SSR on October 4, 1955. The object was described as a triangular shape with lights, launching in a manner similar to a missile.

Key Findings

- Sighting occurred on October 4, 1955, near Baku, Azerbaijan SSR. - Witnesses observed a triangular object with three lights on an airfield. - The object executed multiple spirals before climbing at a steep angle. - The sighting was reported by a US national with no technical aviation background. - The event was noted to be unusual and not typical of conventional aircraft operations.

OCR Text

Approved for Release 2 026 - ! ' i ' .._P_R_E_P_A_R_E_D_A_N_ D_D_IS_S_E_M_I_N_A_T_E_D_B_Y_ CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY COUNTRY USSR SUBJECT Sighting ot Unconventional Aircraft PLACE ACQUIRED /Br aourceJ Azerbaijan SSR 1----- - ---~------------------1 DATE ACQU I RED /Br •ourceJ OAT£ OF I NFORMATION (Dale Of dales, on or .be lween w hich, e veaa oz condiliom de.sc,i.bed la report exialedJ 4 Oct 55 4 Oct 55 THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATI ON souRcE US national, 41 years old, publicity and advertising vice president o:f' large US corporation. His Mjor education was in the field ot political sci~nce l. 2. (Phi B~ta Kappa), and he has lectured extensively on current affairs. He has had no technical training or experience in aviation matters. He recently visited the USSR as a tourist at the invitation of a senior Soviet official. At 1630, 4 Oct 55, I boarded a train at Baku for Tiflis in the company ot three other US nationals, one of whom shared a Wagon-Lit compartment with . me; the other two occupied the ad.Joining compartment. The train ran very slowly, making evffY stop; I vould estimate its overall speed. at 20 Jll.l)h. Exactly tvo hours and forty minutes out of Baku, one ot our group in the compartment next door entered my compartment and said, "Did you see that out theret I just saw a ny1ng saucero " I and my compartment companion vere about to laugh it off wen the man from next door pointed out ot the window again, and then we all saw the following sight. On the letthand side ot the traill, between the train and the Caspian Sea coast, was a large air fieldo The evening we.a dark but clearo A huge 1earc:h lir,ht 1 on the tield itselt, shar,e on a triangular obJect on the ground wich :i: would say was probably not more than tvo miles distant from the railroad. [collector' s commenti Source first estimated that the air field was about five miles away but, on further reflection, chansed the distance to the obJect to two mi.l.es;J i'b.e eize ot the object was comparable to that ot a US Jet tighter, vith a squat shape and in the form of an equilateral tmngle. There were three lights on the obJect, one on each point of the triazigle, presumably two wing lights and a tail light. As we watched, it was eJected from its launching site, mak1ng not less than three anti not :more than seven fast spirals in the air, a:tter which it cl.im'bed extremely tut at about a 45 degree angleo We watched ·-it climb and saw it reach a high altitude; the •earchlight followed it all the way. I wish to ~haaize that this was no ordinary take-of'f but a launching procedure more like a m.ssile eJection. OUr companion from next door reported that this was the second launchil:Jg in rapid succession. -----· SEE BOTTOM OF PAc;i·roR ADDITIONAL SPECIAL CONTROLS, lF ANY S-E•e-B B 4' Thia mcii~~~·'-1otaatlon aHec:lhig th• ~ a tional Defense o l theUnited StalH ,irithln Ille meanillg ol lhe Espionage Laws, Tille 18, U.S. C . _ _ ___ _______, Secs. 793 and 794, the transmissio n or ren lat1oa of which ID any manne r to an unauthorized pe r• aon la prohiblled by law. INFO~MATION REPORT REPORT NO. 00-13- ')02.20 DATE DISTRIBUTED NO. OF PAGES NU . UI-ENCLS. SUPPLEM Eh T TO REPORT 11 RESPONSI VE TO 4. I believe that the train at the time of the ai&}lting vu 'betveen 50 and 65 miles south ot Baku. Thet!Cupian Sea vu still visible. While the fo~_..Q:C. ua were still watching the obJect asceruJ1ns, _!he steward ~ ----i -rn and pulled d~e bllnO:so When I bepn to protest, the •tetard ---Jio"fii~etr""toward the rear ot the car and shook his head, 1D41c:ating to me that the MVD man who had boarded the train at the moaent ot departure had ordered the blinds drawno : i l ! . ..,., ' NOFOBN ffO DlSSEM ABROAD <._ . UMITED: Dinemfnation limited to full•lime employees o/ CIA, AEC and FBI; and, "'"hln Slate and Defe nse, lo the intelligence components, other offic:.s producing NIS elements. and .higher echelons with their Immediate suppor ting 1 s. Not to be disse minated to consultants, externa l p ro/ects or reser-re personnel oa short term a ctive duty (excep ting indi viduals who ar e n ormuuy tull-Ume employees ol CIA. AEC. FBI, Sta le or Defense) unlu.s the wrUlen permission of I.he odqinatinq olllce has been obtained through the A.ssislanl Director for Collecllon a nd Dl.s:semlnalfon, CIA, DISTRI BUTION STATE AR MY NAVY FBI ..... 5. our party ha4 wished to make this part of the Journey by air, but we were intormed by DTOURIST in Baku that there were no flights between Baku and Tiflis. In Tiflis the Ill'l'OURIST people were surprised that our party had not tlo"Wll and said that there were several flights a clay. -end - ! ,

Metadata

Agency
—
Classification
CONFIDENTIAL
Department
CIA
Confidence85
Credibility80

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