23857122-0261-64425-0014

% Sw wae eee HEADQUARTERS 5021ST ATR BASE SQUADRON fy SHEMYA ATR FORCE BASE APO 729, U S Arny A ae tt Aa Cary, N 4 Apri 1949 oy s STATEMENT —_ —= == as owe sm os oa am "On the night of 29 March 1949 I took off from Shemya at 2140 hours BST on a routine Loon Able weather reconnaissance mission. | Since an engine was feathered shortly after takeoff, I decided to | remain aloft over Shenmya approximately three hours to lighten the weight of the aircraft before landing. At approximately 2205 hours | while approaching Shemya range from the southwest at an altitude of 2400 feet, the co-pilot and left scanner reported that we had passed a lighted object approximately 100 feet below us. This Tf ; reported to Semichi tower and asked if there were any other air- craft in the vicinity. The only reported aircraft was a Northsest Airlines aircraft which had taken off a few moments previously and reported te be on course. I alerted the entire crew to be on the lookout for anv aircraft in the vicinity. At approximately 2235 hours while in a proceedure turn at 5000 feet just south of the island a light was sighted approach- ing from our left. This was clearly seen to pass directly over- head and on to our right to vanish among scattered clouds in the distance. Since we were in a turn and on a westward heading at the time, the light was in a northerly heading. At the time I judged it to be 1000 feet above us and traveling 300 - 400 miles yer hour. The possibility of this light being a metep@ confront- ed me, but it was traveling in what seemed a definite horizontal altitude and the light seemed steady in intensity, which diminish- ed the possibility of this being a meteor. The light itself seemed . +o be a blue-white color and had the appearance of an exhaust in shape. This was reported to Semichi tower. {2 There were no further observations." La DENUSSFE 0. 11852, See. 2(0) and 5(D) oF (E) DSAF meme 4 ay WAerwtS... nals, pan L/S L2E 375th Ren Sq (VLR) Wea Declassification Authority: NND 57565