DOW-UAP-D164, Flying Object Report, Indiana, 1953

Official Description

This document is a Flying Objects Report prepared in accordance with Air Force Regulation 200-2, which established guidance for reporting unidentified flying objects. The report records an incident near Seymour, Indiana, in which two civilian reporters stated that they observed two airborne objects while traveling by car. The report does not identify an exact event date; its weather assessment addresses conditions during the period December 8–15, 1953. The report describes the incident as consisting of a “brilliant moving light” and two large, white, cloudy or gaseous objects in a staggered formation. It further describes four bright points of light within each object and a bluish-white, vapor-like trail. The report describes the object kinematics as an in-line approach with a steady descent, a stationary interval of unreported duration, and a rapid departure along an abrupt upward angle toward the southwest. It records an estimated direct observation period of three to four minutes, with a total elapsed period of five to six minutes that included changes in the vehicle’s route. 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.

Key Findings

• →Two white, cloudy/gaseous circular ring-shaped objects flew in staggered formation, each with four equidistant bright lights rotating slowly clockwise within the same plane.
• →Objects made a steady descending in-line approach from the north, hovered with complete level stability, then departed in a seemingly instantaneous surge to maximum speed toward the southwest at an abrupt upward angle.
• →No sound was heard even though the observers stepped out of their car to listen; trail was bluish-white and vaporish, likened to a jet take-off at night.
• →Observation lasted about 3-4 minutes (5-6 minutes total including car movements); time given as 0002-0008Z and exact date could not be recalled.
• →Report lists no physical evidence, air traffic could not be verified, and the witness (60-year-old pharmacist Hiram Jones) was described as truthful and not prone to exaggeration; he delayed reporting to avoid ridicule.

Extracted Entities