December 29, 1952 — Vega, TX
9:05 p.m. Capt. William T. Bowley and Capt. Herbert T. Lange, both of Perrin AFB [now North Texas Regional Airport] near Denison, Texas, are piloting a B-26 on a training flight headed west at 6,000 feet altitude and 300 mph when they see a large, intense, bluish-white light near Vega, Texas. It is about 350 feet long at their 11 o’clock position, paralleling their course at the same altitude and closing slightly. After 5 minutes, the object suddenly climbs vertically 7,000 feet in 5 seconds (about 2,000 mph) to disappear in thin clouds at 13,000 feet and causing the clouds to glow as if lit by a searchlight. Bowley radios the CAA controller in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Shortly after, the object reappears under the clouds and the CAA controller is told to look for it but he can’t see it (possibly because he is told to look in the wring direction). After 2 minutes, it climbs to the west and disappears. [Eberhart]
Record Card:
AF-112:
Statements:
Source:
Brad Sparks, Blue Books Unknowns Catalogue, Case 904, p. 187;
NICAP, “Object Closing on B-36 Suddenly Climbs”;
