DOW-UAP-D161, Air Intelligence Information Report, Alaska, 1953

Official Conclusion

No conclusion stated; the report noted the sighting as unusual and stated there is no evidence that the light was used for signaling.

Official Description

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report (AIIR), a standardized U.S. Air Force reporting form used to record raw information of potential intelligence value for later analysis. The form served as a primary vehicle for U.S. Air Force field intelligence collection throughout the early Cold War, until defense-wide reporting standards were established in the early 1960s. This AIIR records an October 6, 1953, incident on Little Diomede, Alaska, in which a resident of the island reported observing a light on the southern tip of Big Diomede, U.S.S.R. The report states that the light lasted for several seconds and appeared as though it came from a large flashlight or spotlight. It further describes the light as about the size of a nickel coin held at arm’s length and about the same color as a burning match or dim flashlight. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics. AARO Comment: The Diomede Islands are situated in the Bering Strait between Alaska and Siberia and constitute the nearest point of territorial proximity between the United States and the former Soviet Union.

Key Findings

• →On 8 October 1953 (about 1015Z) Raleigh Iyapanna, a 14-year-old Eskimo student and hunter, saw a light on the southern tip of Big Diomede Island, USSR, from Little Diomede Village about 2.5 miles away.
• →The light lasted several seconds, was about the size of a nickel at arm's length, and was the color of a burning match or dim flashlight; the source believed it was a large flashlight or spotlight.
• →The light was at an estimated 95 feet elevation and did not reappear despite continued watching.
• →The report notes the sighting is unusual because people have not been observed in that location and it is hard to reach, particularly at night.
• →The preparing officer speculated that the location could be used for signaling the Alaskan mainland but stated there is no evidence to support that conclusion.

Extracted Entities