San Juan Puerto Rico radar-visual unidentified-object report — February 1960

On or during February 1960, at or near San Juan Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico, the source reports the following sequence: BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING Round object, size of large pea at arms length, bright red with yellowish-orange tinge on right side left concitrail which persisted at point of disappearance for 10 min. TO RBEK C/CINCLANT FLT RJWFALB/CINCINGRAD RJEZHO/COFS USAF WAS DC RIEPW/CNO O 262315Z FM USS TRINGA TO COMCARIBSEAFRON LST TRINGA PONCE ARBOR SIGHTED BRILLIANT FLASH TRAILING SMOKE 251350Z BRG 330 DEG EST ALT 30000 FT EST COURSE 270 DEG X POSSIBLE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT SMOKE REMAINED NO C UTES SIGHTED BY CFN 2618520 330 30000 270 27/0300Z NOTE : ADVANCE COPIES DELIVERED TO CIN AND OOP-CF [handwritten: signature and notation "SAT-3"] UNCLAS EFTO C2C3033122CAY0325 RR BJFMSA DE BJFMSA 31 R 291702Z FM 72 BOMB RAMEY AFB TO JMFALAIR DEFENSE COMMAND ENT AFB RJEDSA/AIRTECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB. HOWEVER OBJECT LEFT WHAT WAS DESCRIBED AS CONTRAIL. DESCRIPTION OF COURSE OF OBJECT. (1) OBSERVER NOTED OBJECT BECAUSE HE HAPPENED TO BE LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SIGHTLINE. (2) OBJECT WAS THOUGHT TO BE AT AN ELEVATION OF 40 DEGREES AND AN AZIMUTH OF 319 DEGREES WHEN FIRST OBSERVED. (3) OBJECT WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE DISAPPEARED AT AN PAGE TWO RJFMSA 31 MINUTES. (8) NO SOUND CONNECTED WITH SIGHTING. (9) NOT OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION. DESCRIPTION OF COURSE OF OBJECT. (1) OBSERVER NOTED OBJECT BECAUSE HE HAPPENED TO BE LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SIGHTINE. (2) OBJECT WAS THOUGHT TO BE AT AN ELEVATION OF 40 DEGREES AND AN AZIMUTH OF 319 DEGREES WHEN FIRST OBSERVED. (3) OBJECT WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE DISAPPEARED AT AN ELEVATION OF 35 DEGREES AT AN AZIMUTH OF 328 DEGREES. (4) FLIGHT PATH APPEARED TO BE A STRAIGHT LINE. (5) OBJECT DISAPPEARED WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN INTENSIFICATION OF FLAME. (6) OBJECT WAS VISABLE FOR LESS THAN ONE SECOND. WEATHER AND WINDS. (1) OBSERVER ACCOUNT OF WEATHER CONDITIONS WAS REPORTED AS CLEAR, PAGE THREE RJFMSA 31 NO CLOUDS. (2) WIND DIRECTION AND VELOCITY IN KNOTS IS AS FOLLOWS AS RECEIVED FROM U.S. THE MANNER IN WHICH OBJECT DISAPPEARED (SEE ITEM D5) ABOVE) IS THE PRIMARY SUPPORT FOR THIS ANALYSIS. ALTHOUGH THE ESTIMATED AZIMUTH WHEN FIRST SIGHTED COMPARED TO AZIMUTH UPON DISAPPEARANCE WOULD INDICATE MOVEMENT FROM EAST TO WEST OBSERVER WAS NOT POSITIVE OF THESE FIGURES, PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE EXTREMELY SHORT TIME THE OBJECT WAS OBSERVED. THE MANNER IN WHICH OBJECT DISAPPEARED (SEE ITEM B5) ABOVE) IS THE PRIMARY SUPPORT FOR THIS ANALYSIS. ALTHOUGH THE ESTIMATED AZIMUTH WHEN FIRST SIGHTED COMPARED TO AZIMUTH UPON DISAPPEARANCE WOULD INDICATE MOVEMENT FROM EAST TO WEST OBSERVER WAS NOT POSITIVE OF THESE FIGURES, PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE EXTREMELY SHORT TIME THE OBJECT WAS OBSERVED. FOLLOWING THREE REPORTS GMM AT 2306 ROOSEVELT ROADS NAVY TOWER ADVISED THAT THEY SAW A BIG BALL OF FIRE WITH A BIG TRAIL OF SMOKE APPRX NNW OF ROOS RDS AT 20 THOUSAND FEET. THE BALL OF FIRE DESCENDED ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND FEET TO FIFTEEN THOUSAND FEET AND DISAPPEARED.