Koflavik Iceland radar-visual unidentified-object report — March 13, 1952

Statement of Captain Frank Schreiber, USAF, Base Operations, 1400th Air Base Squadron, MATS, Keflavik Airport, Iceland, Operations Duty Officer. (1) On March 19, 1952 at 1950 hours, it was reported to me by the GCA Unit that a local C-47 on practice run, at 0715Z M/Sgt Hollis, the GCA Traffic Director, reported to the Keflavik Tower that an unidentified target was observed on his radar scope. (2) After the tower relayed this information to me, I contacted Reykjavik Operations Center. Kelly, AF 1,464,759, 1971st AACS Squadron, MATS, Keflavik Airport, Iceland, GCA Crew Chief on duty. (1) On 19 March 1952 at approximately 0715Z, I observed an unidentified target inbound on a heading of 159° and outbound on a heading of 330°. It describes various radar targets detected and tracked during GCA runs with local based aircraft C-47, 58179. The report provides specifics on the times, positions, and behaviors of the observed radar targets. This incident was first reported on CJVIS report DID 13-7020Z, from Base Operations Officer, Keflavik, Iceland, to Air Defense Command, and the Director, Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C., and Chief, USAF, Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. The report mentioned above stated that the estimated altitude of the object sighted was 2,500 feet. Kiser reveals that the GCA operator, whom he conversed with, reported that the object passed his scope at a speed much faster than F-86s that he had clocked on other occasions. Ghosts or angels usually are observed to have a fairly consistent speed and track, and are identified as a target as they appear and disappear, rather than observed they should be treated as unidentified aircraft. LENGTH OF TIME OBSERVED: 57 sec 10. CONCLUSIONS: The object exhibited high angular velocity, straight path, and was acquired and tracked by radar. INDICATOR ITEM TURNED IN ON THIS INCIDENT WITH TCB EVALUATION PROBABLY CONVENTIONAL AIRCRAFT. REPORT RECEIVED FROM SAC STATES THAT AN UNIDENTIFIED AIRCRAFT BELIEVED TO BE B-29 TYPE WAS SIGHTED OFF NORWEGIAN COAST ON 14 MARCH.