Washington, D.C. radar sightings, July 1952
July 1952 · Washington, D.C.
Summary
Unidentified radar returns were recorded over Washington, D.C. in two series in July 1952, according to the files. A later Australian Defence chronology dated them 19 and 26 July 1952 and said they involved Washington National Airport, the Capitol and the White House. The same document said reporting in the summer of 1952 rose more than twenty-fold over the normal rate.
A newspaper clipping in the FBI file described the second series. At least a dozen objects were reported within a 30-mile radius of the city and were picked up by the CAA Air Route Traffic Control center radar at Washington National Airport. Two F-94 jets were sent up at 11:25 p.m. The pilots saw lights but could not get closer than about 7 miles. Radar operators plotted speeds of 38 to 90 miles per hour and could not determine altitude. A CAA spokesman said the returns resembled those of regular aircraft.
A second clipping, dated 30 July 1952, reported Maj. Gen. John A. Samford's statement that Air Force experts were convinced "natural causes" accounted for the sightings. Samford said radar might be picking up Northern Lights and atmospheric conditions after a heat wave. The clipping said more unidentified dots appeared on the CAA scope from 1:30 a.m. to 6 a.m., while Air Force radar at a nearby field and airline pilots saw nothing.
On 1 August 1952 a CBS Laboratories engineer wrote to Samford with a possible explanation. He suggested that fire control radar might ionize the upper atmosphere and return echoes to the search radar. He called the hypothesis unattractive, citing the power required and the reported close ranges.
The Robertson Panel of January 1953 listed the Washington, D.C. area (19 July 1952) among the cases discussed in detail. It concluded that reasonable explanations could be suggested for most sightings. The same passage appears in the Air Force committee file.
What the files say
“Air Force experts said today that they are convinced "natural causes" account for the "flying saucers" which have been dotting local skies for more than a week”
Page 55 →“Radar operators plotted their speed at from 38 to 90 miles per hour. They were not able to determine their altitude.”
Page 58 →“A CAA spokesman said the objects picked up last night gave off blips similar to those of regular aircraft.”
Page 58 →“Two series of radar-visual sightings over Washington National airport, the Capitol and White House electrified the nation.”
Page 16 →
Explanations in the record
What the documents themselves say the event was, as recorded. Not our assessment.
- Maj. Gen. Samford said Air Force experts were convinced natural causes accounted for the sightings, and suggested radar was detecting Northern Lights and atmospheric conditions after a heat wave. — FBI UFO case file index, 1947-1968 (metadata only), page 55
- A CBS Laboratories engineer suggested ionization of the upper atmosphere by high-power fire control radar might produce echoes on the search radar, while calling the idea unattractive. — U.S. Air Force 'Flying Discs' file, UFO reports (1952), page 154
- The Robertson Panel concluded that reasonable explanations could be suggested for most sightings, including those it reviewed in detail. — Robertson Panel UFO report and CIA files (1952-1953), page 17