Baileys Bay Bermuda radar-visual unidentified-object report — September 1958

Telephone contact was made with Captain on the evening of 14 SEPa who stated that on the evening of 14 Sber nil along with trr family were sitting on t on Bays Bay, Bermuda when they saw an and drilling of ears traveling very rapidly along with his family were sitting on the baseball bey, Bermuda. DRILLING OF MARS TRAVELING VERY RAPIDLY AC PRIORITY NBR 4647 16 SEP 58 FOI CODIR 165/4 AO KINDLEY AFB BERMUDA F03 COMDR AIR DEFENSE COMMAND ENT AFB COIC: ATIC WPAFS IAO 16 AS INSTANT CHIEF OF STAFF INTELLIGENCE HQ 101 OFFICER OF INFORIATICN SERVICE HQ USAF WASHT DC INFO COMDR EAST AFR MCGUIRE AFE ACTER OF WAYS with CAPTAIN: SEPTEMBER : NIL VERA INS OF THEIR HOME AT BALLYS BAY, BERMUDA WHEN THEY SAW ON OBJECT THE SIZE AND BRILLIANCE OF MARS TRAVELING VERY RAPIDLY ANO AT A HIGH ALTITUDE TO THE NORTHEAST THEY YOTOSHED IT FOR 5 OR BOURD BEFORE IT DISAPP KARAD, NO SOTD WAS HEARD. STORY **Text extracted through OCR:** INCOMING CONFIDENTIAL PRIORITY DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE STAFF MESSAGE DIVISION UNCLASSIFIED AC - PARAPHRASE NOT REQUIRED EXCEPT PRIOR TO CATEGORY B ENCRYPTION PHYSICALLY REMOVE ALL INTERNAL REFERENCES BY DATE-TIME GROUP PRIOR TO DECLASSIFICATION—NO UNCLASSIFIED REFERENCE IF THE DTG IS QUOTED FROM: COMDR 1604TH A2W KINDLEY AFB BERMUDA TO COMDR ADC ENT AFB COLO COMDR ATIC WPAFB OHIO CSAF WASH DC ATTN: ASST COFS INTELLIGENCE OFFICER OF INFORMATION SERVICE INFO: COMDR EASTAF, MCGUIRE AFB NJ NR: as604xD089-j UFO Office of Information Services, this station was queried this date by local newspaper reporter of the "Mid Ocean News" concerning an unidentified flying object report it had received Feleg hone contact was made with Captain Murphy-.who is Captain of the steamship stated that on the evening of 14 Sep he and 4 members of his family were sitting on the veranda of their home at Baileys Bay, Bermuda when they saw an object the size and brilliance of Mars travelling very rapidly and at high altitude to the Northeast. They watched it for 5 or 6 minutes before it disappeared. COMMENTS: ALTHOUGH VISUAL OBSERVATION WAS ATTEMPTED FROM BOTH GROUND AND AIR, NO OBJECTS WERE DEFINITELY SIGHTED PUBLIC CONTROL TOWER OPERATOR THINKS HE MIGHT HAVE SEEN SOMETHING, HOWEVER, HE IS VERY UNCERTAIN AND REFUSES TO COMMIT HIMSELF. Although visual obsrvation tion, it is considered likely was attempted fm both ground & air, that weather phenomena and/or no obj s were definitely sighted. OF COURSE; (1) UNIDENTIFIED RETURN ON RADAR (2) GCA; 4800 FEET ALTITUDE, 1 AND 1 HALF MILES DISTANT, BEARING 110 DEGREES, GCI; 7000 FEET ALTITUDE; 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF STATION. (3) GCA; 400 FEET ALTITUDE, 1 AND 1 HALF MILES, BEARING 260 DEGREES, LOST IN Ground clutter APPROX 2 MILES FROM APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 29. (4) GCA REPORTED THAT IT ENTERED THE /AC CATEGORIZATION AN EXCEPT WHERE TO CATEGORY ATOPY, PHYSICALLY PROVEN PRECISION APPROACH SCOPE FROM THE LEFT (NORTH) AND THEN CRISS CROSSED BACK AND FORTH OF IT, SOMETIMES PASSING COMPLETELY OFF THE SCOPE. GCI REPORTED THAT THE OBJECT WAS TRACKED INBOUND TO THE COAST AT WHICH TIME IT VEERED TO THE SOUTH. ALTITUDE OF OBJECT VARIED BETWEEN 200 AND 1000 FEET WITH SPEEDS RANGING FROM 25 TO 40 KNOTS. (5) PASSED OFF SCOPES. (6) APPROACH ANGLE; (1) MANNER OF OBSERVATIONS (1) GROUND ELECTRONIC, GCA IS EQUIPPED WITH MPN-11C, RADAR, GCI IS EQUIPPED WITH GPS-4 SEARCH RADAR AND MPS-11 HEIGHT FINDER RADAR. (2) NEGATIVE. From the description given one might conjecture anything from an aircraft or balloon to false targets or weather phenomena as possible causes for the reported radar returns. In view of the meager information given and the failure to make any visual observation from either ground or air, it is considered likely that weather phenomena and/or equipment malfunction was responsible for the reported radar returns.