UFO Case Report (E-mail): “Subject: Photo of object below a/c; Richmond, IN, May 24, 1954”

By Michael D. Swords, 22 July 2009

(NICAP.org)

The whole UFO case report:

“Mike Swords:

The date is May 24, 1954 and the location is [over] Richmond [IN]. The primary witness is a Major L. N. Brubaker, who was flying a B-17 [not a RB-whatever as usually listed--and the case isn’t ‘Dayton’ as often listed], which was specially fitted out for aerial survey---at least this is what a combo of the extensive Blue Book records say, plus McDonald’s files. Brubaker et al see an intense large ‘light’ fly under their plane at twice their speed. Because he’s out to take pictures, he doesn’t freeze and shoots some film. Wright-Pat has some trouble with this one and allegedly gets a whole team of scientists [unnamed] on this and explains it away as a very rare case of ice-crystal reflection a la sundogs. Ruppelt reports the case somewhat inaccurately [it was after he’d left] and confusion reigns. McDonald gets the scent and here’s what he says in a letter to his Navy Research buddy, Jim Hughes: ‘Concurrently I have been searching for and finally found the Air Force officer who took the photo aboard the B-17 in May 1954. He is a retired Lt. Colonel now working in the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington. He had his own set of prints; he loaned them to me; and sent three pages of transcribed notes on the incident. I regret to say that between the analysis of the sun-angles and the rather clear-cut description of the high angular velocity of the luminous entity as it sped into the B-17, I cannot agree with the Air Force explanation in terms of the sundog that has been on the record for 14 years. The print that we are trying to get from Project Blue Book is one that shows the duty card to double-check the time. However, Lt. Colonel Brubaker, who took the photo, sent me a verbatim transcript of his notes and it checks the information I already have. That time will not support the sundog hypothesis, it turns out. Thus we may have in this photo one that is above reproach with respect to credentials and yet has no obvious explanation in the area of meteorological optics.’ Thus Mac feels that he has a winner here, and I’ll trust him on this. Plus, this cleans up a lot of inaccuracy about this one and [with the extensive BB record] creates an unusual photo that we might not have to be ashamed of.”

http://www.nicap.org/reports/540524richmond_swords.htm

Relatd posts

realtvufos.blogspot.com/2018/08/ufo-case-directory-imcat-b-17.html

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=May+1954

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=1954

Satellite photo of Richmond, Indiana (tageo.com)

(Photo: tageo.com)

UFO Report:
“1954 UFO Chronology and the Great Wave of 1954”
(NICAP.org)

Quote from the web page:

“Created January 29, 2006; updated 21 April 2016

This is a 19-page report on an on-going project involving a number of people. With the help of Rebecca Wise (Project Blue Book Archive), and Dan Wilson (digging out the cases from my checklist), 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 who created the online NICAP DBase (NSID) that helped make it possible to link from the cases to the reports themselves.

This was the year of the Walesville crash, the BOAC case, the Sea Fury incident, and the famous Bermuda radar case, and many others. A significant number of unusual sightings occurred in Europe during what has become known as the ‘Great Wave of 1954.’ Much of this wave has already been documented in UFO literature, but what was not known until the release of the CIA files is the fact that the CIA collected many of the sightings through normal intelligence channels, something which they had supposedly fought to block with the Robertson Panel inquiry. (Clear Intent, 132) Examples of reports excerpted from official CIA information sheets are provided below in their chronological sequence. The CIA reports are mostly translated press clippings, newspaper and dates should have been included but were not available.

What may not be known is that the Anomalies Foundation: The Year 1954 in Photos (fotocat report #1) lists and documents 101 photographs in its 23-page report for that year alone. And just added to this chrono is The World-Wide Wave of 1954 by Don Johnson.

Francis Ridge

NICAP Site Coordinator”

http://www.nicap.org/chronos/1954fullrep.htm

Actual radar scope photo, near Bermuda
(see July 3, 1954; Near Bermuda (BBU))
(nicap.org photo)

U.S. Government UFO Document: “PROJECT 10073 RECORD (CARD): DATE – TIME GROUP: 11 May 54 – 12/0445Z/ LOCATION: East side of Hanger [sic], Washington National Airport, Wash DC”

(Project Blue Book, U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.)

Source: Fold3.com, Lindon, Utah

NOTE: The UFO incidents (witnessed by three Air Police officers, according to the book, UFOs and Government: A Historical Inquiry) occurred on 12 May 1954.

Quote from the document (Page 1):

“Objects flew in formation of two’s and included right angle maneuver. Observed to disappear and reappear three times. Objects round and were white in color, resembling a street light about 1 foot in diameter. 2/10 cloud at 10,000. Observed at 12/0445Z, 12/0515Z, and 12/0610Z maximum duration for each sighting 45 seconds disappear by fading.”

The case is listed as “UNIDENTIFIED.”

https://www.fold3.com/image/6781545

Related post:

ufo-report-1954-ufo-chronology-and.html

(ufocasebook.com image)

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington, D.C.

(aopa.org photo)

Google Website Searches: Focus On UFO Incidents At Railways/Railroads

Website: National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP.org):

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Railway+site:nicap.org

(Railway)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Railroad+site:nicap.org

(Railroad)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Train+Station+site:nicap.org

(Train Station)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Train+site:nicap.org

(Train)

Website: National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC.org):

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Railway+site:nuforc.org

(Railway)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Railroad+site:nuforc.org

(Railroad)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Train+Station+site:nuforc.org

(Train Station)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Train+site:nuforc.org

(Train)

Website: UFO Casebook (ufocasebook.com):

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Railway+site:ufocasebook.com

(Railway)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Railroad+site:ufocasebook.com

(Railroad)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Train+Station+site:ufocasebook.com

(Train Station)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Train+site:ufocasebook.com

(Train)

Website: UFOINFO.com:

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Railway+site:ufoinfo.com

(Railway)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Railroad+site:ufoinfo.com

(Railroad)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Train+Station+site:ufoinfo.com

(Train Station)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Train+site:ufoinfo.com

(Train)

Website: UFO DNA (thecid.com/ufo):

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Railway+site:thecid.com/ufo

(Railway)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Railroad+site:thecid.com/ufo

(Railroad)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Train+Station+site:thecid.com/ufo

(Train Station)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Train+site:thecid.com/ufo

(Train)

UFO E-mail:

“Subject: May 18, 1954, fallout and the UFOs” by Daniel Wilson, 
2 April 2005 (NICAP.org)

Wilson reports in the e-mail that two witnesses observed a lens shaped UFO which landed near railroad tracks located near the Cannon Air Force Base (New Mexico) on 18 May 1954: 

http://nicap.org/fallout/fallout_540518.htm

Aerial view of Cannon Air Force Base (near Clovis, New Mexico) 
(3 March 1997 USGS Orthophoto/wikimedia.org photo)

UFO Article (Blog): “THE ‘SEA FURY’ INCIDENT”

16 May 2017

(AUS UFO (https://ausufo.wordpress.com), Australia)

Quote from the article:

“Making headlines in December 1954 is the now infamous ‘Sea

Fury’ encounter. On August 31^st, 1954, [fighter pilot] Lieutenant

J.A. O’Farrell was returning to Royal Australian Navy Air Station

Nowra after flying across the country in a Sea Fury Aircraft.

At about 7:10pm while near [Goulburn], NSW, O’Farrell saw a bright light approaching at speed almost head on. It crossed in front of his aircraft taking up position on his port beam, where it appeared to orbit.

A second ‘bright light’ was seen at nine o’clock, passing about a mile in from the Sea Fury before turning in the position where the first light was observed.

According to the pilot, the crossing speeds of the lights were the fastest he’d ever seen. He was flying at about 400km/h.

Radar operator at Nowra base Petty Officer Keith Jessop confirmed the presence of two objects near the Sea Fury on the G.C.I. remote display.

The two lights reformed at nine o’clock before disappearing on a north-easterly heading.

O’Farrell could only make out ‘a vague shape with the white light situated centrally on top.’ The Directorate of Naval Intelligence at the time wrote that O’Farrell was ‘an entirely credible witness’ and that he ‘was visibly ‘shaken’ by his experience, but remains adamant that he saw these objects.’

‘These two aircraft came in quite close to me and I could really see the dark mass and that they were quite big, but I couldn’t make out any other lights or any other form of an aircraft. With that they took off and headed off to the north east at great speed.’ –J.A. ‘Seamus’ O’Farrell.”

https://ausufo.wordpress.com/2017/05/16/the-sea-fury-incident/

Wikipedia article: “HMAS Albatross (air station)”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Albatross_(air_station)

Wikipedia article: “Hawker Sea Fury”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Sea_Fury

Wikipedia article: “Goulburn, New South Wales”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goulburn,_New_South_Wales

Related posts:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/2020/06/tv-documentary-series-ufo-story-sea.html

realtvufos.blogspot.com/2017/07/ufo-news-article-flying-saucers.html

realtvufos.blogspot.com/2016/04/ufo-news-article-flying-saucers-plotted.html

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=August+1954

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=1954

Lieutenant [in 1954] J.A. ‘Seamus’ O’Farrell (Text: AUS UFO)

(Photo: AUS UFO (https://ausufo.files.wordpress.com))

Satellite photo of Goulburn, Australia (tageo.com)

(tageo.com photo)

UFO News Article: “Flying Mystery Over Calcutta – Dum Dum Officer’s Account”

November 1954

(Hindustan Times, New Delhi, India)

Source: Hindustan Times (YouTube channel)

The whole article:

“A bright luminous object with a long tail which is reported to have been seen in the sky over Calcutta on October 31 [1954] from the control tower of the Dum Dum airport [now Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport] has started a spate of speculation about flying saucers and Martian observers.

Airport authorities have a report from one of their technical officers about his observation of this mysterious object. It is learnt that the officer while on duty at the tower on October 31 last at about 6 p.m. suddenly found a flash in the sky which was moving at a speed of more than 500 miles per hour at an altitude of about 2,000 ft.

It was stated that the bright white object had a long luminous tail of diffused white light and was passing about five miles north of his observation point. The light appeared about three of four times brighter than an aircraft tail light and the object disappeared from his view within a minute. It did not alter its height, direction of flight or speed. It was steady in its movement and disappeared gradually.

A foreign aircraft which was circling at the time did not report anything about it at the time of briefing.

The aerodrome officer of the Dum Dum airport confirmed that such a thing had been observed and a report on the subject had been submitted to him. He declined to make any comment on the subject, but said that he was sending the report to appropriate authorities.

Rev. Father F. Goreux, astronomer, in-charge of the St. Xavier’s College observatory and senior professor of the Calcutta University commented: ‘It is not an astronomical object. That is certain.’

A doctor of science from [Louvain] University (Belgium) Rev. Goreux has done research work under Dr Kinstein, and has years of experience in astronomical research.

He said that he had also received telephone calls from some of his acquaintances in the city who claimed to have seen a similar object in the sky almost on the same date and time.

Dr Goreux explained that absence of sound could be due to a different mode of propulsion, ‘unknown to us at present.’ Its luminosity he said ‘may be a camouflage to hide its real identity.’

He added [that] the low speed and change of direction as had been observed in such cases, were not compatible with the movement of astronomical objects.

He added: ‘To my mind, the coolness of American scientific authorities seems to suggest that they know about it. Had it not been so they would not have remained silent about an object which had also been observed in America years ago.’

In this connection he referred to a very interesting report which he read some time back, in which it was stated that a  pilot while chasing such an object had his plane ‘blown to bits.’

Dr Goreux felt that the main thing was to collect observation from all quarters to determine the truth about these objects.”

Wikipedia article: “Kolkata”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolkata

Wikipedia article: “Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netaji_Subhas_Chandra_Bose_International_Airport

Related posts:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=October+1954

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=1954

(Hindustan Times/youtube.com image)

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, India

(Google photo)

Satellite photo of Kolkata, India (tageo.com)

(tageo.com photo)

UFO Case Directory (IMCAT): “B-17 Photographic Mission Case May 24, 1954 Richmond, Indiana”

(NICAP.org)

The whole UFO case report:

“Dan Wilson:

May 24, 1954; Richmond, Indiana (BBU)

12:25 EST. While flying on a photographic mapping mission in a B-17, Major Leo Brubaker USAF, observed and photographed an object below the plane for 45 seconds. The aircraft was flying at an altitude of 18,500 feet at 220 knots. The speed of the object was estimated at 440 knots. The object traveled a distance of six miles over the ground at a speed twice that of the aircraft. The photos were taken with a F11 mapping camera.”

NICAP.org presents U.S. government (U.S. Air Force) documents that pertain to the UFO case.

http://www.nicap.org/540524richmond_dir.htm

Satellite photo of Richmond, Indiana (tageo.com)

(tageo.com photo)

UFO Magazine Article:

“WHAT OUR AIR FORCE FOUND 
OUT ABOUT FLYING SAUCERS”

by Edward J. Ruppelt, May 1954 (TRUE)

(Sign Historical Group)

U.S. Air Force Captain Edward J. Ruppelt was the director of Project Blue Book from March 1952 until late 1953:

http://www.project1947.com/shg/articles/true_ruppelt.htm

He was also the director of Project Grudge from late 1951 until 
it became Project Blue Book in March 1952, according to the 
Wikipedia article, “Edward J. Ruppelt.”

Wikipedia article: “Edward J. Ruppelt”:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_J._Ruppelt







The late Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, U.S. Air Force,
Director of Project Blue Book (1952-1953)
(NARCAP.org photo)

U.S. Government Journal UFO Article: “UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS (UFOs)”

The Inspector General (TIG) Brief, Number 21, Volume XVIII,

14 October 1966

(U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.)

Source: CUFON.org

The whole article:

      “Base commanders, and their information and operations personnel, should review AFR 80-17, 19 September 1966, to assure familiarity with their responsibilities in the event they receive an inquiry concerning UFOs, or a notice of sighting. Air Force interest in UFOs is two-fold: to determine if the UFO is a possible threat to the United States and to use the scientific or technical data gained from study of UFO reports. To attain these objectives, it is necessary to explain or identify the factor that caused the observation to be reported as an unidentified flying object – i.e., any aerial phenomenon or object which is unknown or appears out of the ordinary to the observer.

       Successful identification of UFOs requires prompt, accurate reporting and rapid evaluation of data. Any AF base which receives notice of a sighting in its vicinity must be ready to conduct an immediate investigation. Personnel who may receive the initial call, whether in operations or other base organizations, should be familiar with the local procedures established for carrying out the base’s responsibilities to screen, evaluate and report the information. Selection of the individual to serve as UFO investigating officer is a key item in implementing these responsibilities. The commander should consider carefully the scientific and technical backgrounds and previous investigating experience of all available personnel, base his choice on qualifications for gathering and evaluating the data required by AFR 80-17. Prompt on-the-spot surveys and follow-ups by the base investigator are vital for complete case information. His report must be immediate, detailed, accurate, and objective. He must make every effort to obtain pertinent data, test all leads, clues, and hypotheses, so that he will have the best possible basis for his analysis and comments in the concluding paragraph of the report.

       All personnel who may have contact with the public concerning UFO matters should be made aware of the importance of proper responses, particularly in connection with sightings which are difficult to identify. They must not only comply with the instructions in AFR 80-17 for referral of inquiries to the office which is qualified to handle them, but must refrain from any action or comment which could cause misunderstanding, either as to the UFO program or a particular case.

        The number of UFO sightings reported to the Air Force during FY 1966 was the largest of any year to date, surpassing the previous record number received in 1954. This statistic constitutes another reason why all bases should assure they have the necessary investigative capability and procedural instructions for responding to UFO notices and inquiries. (Briefing of AFR 80-17 is on page 15.)”

I also reported about this article on 27 January 2013.

http://www.cufon.org/cufon/tig_brief4.htm

Related posts:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Inspector+General+(TIG)+Brief

(U.S. Air Force/CUFON.org image)

UFO Photographed near Martin B-57B Canberra Twin Jet
by the Martin Company, Maryland,
Circa 1954, Daytime

The UFO was photographed purely by chance and was not discovered until the photograph was developed.

Judging from the original photo (before it was manipulated) – it’s obvious that the unknown object is a flying craft of some sort.

So why has the photo been manipulated (see the below photos)? And who has given the order to manipulate it?

The Martin Company defaced this photo twice, according to several U.S. UFO researchers.

NICAP's Photographic Adviser Ralph Rankow, a New York photographer, investigated the image in 1964, and wrote in an article: “No one actually reported seeing with their own eye the saucer-like object in the upper right portion of the picture. Even so, the object evoked such curiosity that another flight was reportedly made over the same area to look for ground reflection that may have caused it – although I understand none were observed.

A close scrutiny of the B57 photo shows the trees, bushes and houses all casting long shadows, but the object throws no shadow on the ground whatsoever. Moreover, (and this point is very important), the dark parts of the object are much too strong to be so far away. As the trees, bushes and houses get farther away, the haze cuts down their intensity and contrast. And the wooded area in the distance directly behind the object is fuzzy and weak by comparison with the strong highlights and shadows of the UFO itself.

In my analysis report to NICAP, I also pointed out that the object obviously had dimension. Its pattern of light and shadow is consistent with the rest of the picture, with the sun low and coming from the left. The object is also symmetrically shaped and contains all tones of gray, from white to black.”

This UFO case proves what important and outstanding work the top UFO researchers (here NICAP’s adviser Ralph Rankow) were/are doing.

There is some confusion (among U.S. UFO researchers) over whether this photograph was taken over Maryland or over the Edwards Air Force Base in California. But judging by the landscape, it seems that the photo was taken over Maryland. The photo was taken circa 1954 and not in 1957, as mentioned in several articles.

The UFO in the original photo
(i299.photobucket.com photo)

The defaced (1st time) photo of the UFO

(ufo.bg photo)

UFO News Article (Blog): “Help me with the ending”

By Billy Cox, 28 July 2015

(De Void, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Florida)

In this article, Billy Cox presents two UFO statements made by the German rocket pioneer Hermann Oberth.

During a 1954 interview with The American Weekly magazine, Oberth said: “I think that they are possibly manned by intelligent observers who are members of a race who may have been investigating our earth for centuries.”

In a 1962 Fate magazine interview he discussed possible UFO physics: “They are flying by means of artificial fields of gravity . . . They produce high-tension electric charges in order to push the air out of their paths, so it does not start glowing, and strong magnetic fields to influence the ionized air at higher altitudes. First, this would explain their luminosity . . . Secondly, it would explain the noiselessness of UFO flight . . . Finally, this assumption also explains the strong electrical and magnetic effects sometimes, though not always, observed in the vicinity of UFOs.” 

http://devoid.blogs.heraldtribune.com/15338/help-me-with-the-ending/

Here is a UFO news article by Hermann Oberth: 
“A Noted Scientist Says Flying Saucers Come From a Distant World” (Milwaukee Sentinel (Wisconsin), 24 October 1954):

https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Pm8xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MRAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5451,3094226

Professor Hermann Julius Oberth,

German Physicist & Engineer
(wikimedia.org photo)