Releases / 7 / DOW-UAP-D178

Unresolved UAP Report, Catalina Island, 1953

File

DOW-UAP-D178

Type

Document, 5 pages

Agency

Department of War

Date

11/16/53

Place

Catalina Island, California

Released

Release 7, October 23, 2026

Open the original on war.gov

The government's description

The file contains a report of a round, purplish-white object above Catalina Island on November 16, 1953. The report describes the object as remaining stationary, then moving northwest toward Los Angeles over approximately 10 minutes on a level flight path. The report characterizes the observer as fairly reliable due to his association with military jet aircraft activities while stationed at Long Beach Air Force Base, Los Angeles, CA. The report refers to an assessment by local astronomers that Jupiter provided a possible explanation.

1. DA TE • TIME GROUP
16 .. 0,
~
l'
2, LOCATION
.,1 16/1..,,v Z
l. SOURCE
Catili
10. CONCLUSION
)
4. NUMBER OF OBJECTS
>VeJ ent
S. L ENGTH OF OBSUVATIOM
of Object docs no~ co'ncide with w.i.n:ls aloft .
_ r t:.on s possibl~
1"1:'° 1i11E, ♦SUMMARV A
AMALYSlf J
~
•..01.u..... • "'--. ~ .i 1
6, TY PE OF OBSERVATION
l.lnJ. - •
=l
7, COURSE
•
.i" ob.. ct
r
to be st..,t·on~:rr. in i'.:i.1 t
~jd1tin.., <N r C..t,~J •
:cl
. -· Wll"N Los A.~ el- s on a
level horizontal l
'ourc
t d tt t •• e s' .:.es , re
clear.
c
. ,. rs I re o1:
·ov 15, Ju. •tel
5 hrs , 3€ ln. , ,5 de.., lev tion j~
8. PHOTOS
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No
Authonty
9, PHYS ICAL EVIDENCE
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JEPQW/COMDR CONTINENTAL AIR COMMAND MITCHEL AFB NY
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AF GRNC
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1239 UFOB ( l)
(A) ROUND SAUCER SHAPE
<B) SIZE Of A PEA
CC) COLOR OF OBJECT WAS PURPLISH WHITE ON FIRST SIGHTING AND FADED TO
A WHITEST COLOR REMAINING SO UNTIL ITS DISAPPERANCE
(D) ONE ( 1)
CE> NEGATIVE
Ci) NEGATIVE
•

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PAGE TWOXBJW 19
CI> OBJECT APPERED TO BE STATIONERY IN FIRST SIGHTING . OVER CATALINA
AND MOVED NORTH-WEST TOWARD LOS ANGELES WHERE IT DISAPPERED FROM VIEW
C2)
CA) CASUAL GLANCE AT SKY
CB) 45 DEGREES ANGLE OF ELEVATION,; ODEGREES AZIMUTH
CC) 4S DEGREE ANGLE Of ELEVATION AZIMUTH UNKNOWN
CD> OBJECT FLIGHT PATH APPERED TO BE STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

•
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•

(i:) LlCJ{T J'ADl:D- FR-OM-\lIE-W-- - - - - ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ­

( J) TEN (11> MINUTES
(3)

.

CA) GROUND VISUAL
CB) NEGATIVE
CC) NEGATIVE

•·
•

C4)

CA> 160!8 .5· 1 ED 51~/
.
.
CB) NIGHT CLEAR
(5)

TENTH ( 111 TH> AND GAFFEY SAN PERDO CALIFORNIA
C6)

CA) NEGATIVE

•
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.. .
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PAGE THREE BWDKW IS
KB> T/SGT ROBERT J CURRIE 39 POSTOFFICE BOX 294 SAN PERDO 7WJ HARBOR
HILL LOMIPA CALIF AIR FORCE CLERK UNKNOWN
(7)
(A)
CLEAR
CB) NW AT 8K 25'1 AT UK, 270 AT 14K1 2~ AT 12K 1 261 AT 28K 1 2(.0 AT
!f0 K UNKNOWN
CC) CLEAR
.
CD) TEN <U > MILES
)r
CE> NONE
(F) N/A
(~STRONOMERS AT GRIFF-US ~ARK OBSERV~TORY AVER AT OBJECTS SUCH AS
THESE ARE POSSIBLY PLANETS WHICH APPEAR MORE CLEARLY AFTER RAIN
FALL
(9) NONE
(lt)
NONE
(11)
NEGATIVE
..
(12)
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WITNESS APPEARED FAIRLY RELIABLE DUE TO ASSOCIATION WITH JET
AIRCRAFT ACTIVITY WHILE STATIONED AT LONG BEACH AIR FORCE BASE
ASTRONOMERS OBSERVATION MAY ACCOUNT fOR THE APPERANCE OF THE SUBJECT
17/300 2 NOV BWDKW
IYNCCAsstFIED
DOWNGRADED AT S YEAR INTERVALS.
DECLASSIFIED AFTER 12 YEARS. •
DOD DIR 6200,10
11.,,
-·--
-
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