December 4, 1952 — Laredo, TX
8:46 p.m. USAF pilot Lt. Robert O. Arnold, 3640th Pilot Training Wing, Laredo AFB [now Laredo International Airport], Texas, is flying a T-28 trainer at 6,000 feet when he sees a bright bluish-white glowing object below him at about 1,500–2,000 feet and rapidly climbing to his level. It shows no navigation lights. He tightens his left turn to keep the object in view, but it suddenly climbs to 9,000 feet in several seconds and drops down to his altitude again, then stops and hovers. Arnold pursues but after 2 seconds the object suddenly heads towards him on a collision course at high speed at 8:53 p.m., wavering slightly at about 300 feet. He sees the object as a blurred reddish-bluish haze smaller than his T-28. It rapidly ascends to 15,000 feet then circles left as if positioning for another pass. In fear Arnold turns off his running lights, spirals down to 1,500 feet while keeping the object in sight as it continues to head towards him in a dive, then pulls up and climbs out of sight. A lighted weather balloon is launched at 8:53 p.m. from Laredo AFB but it is not observed near any aircraft. [Eberhart]
Record Card:
Case Summary:
Air Intelligence Report (AF-112):
TWX:
Sources:
Project Blue Book Status Report 10;
Brad Sparks, Blue Books Unknowns Catalogue, Case 881, p. 182;
Donald Keyhoe, Flying Saucers From Outer Space, 1953, pp. 3-4, 17-18;
Flying Saucer News-Service RESEARCH BULLETIN, No.10 (September 20, 1955): 1-2;
Journal of UFO History 2, No. 4, p. 10;
NICAP, “The Laredo / ‘Earl Fogle’ Case”;
[The BB pages here are much harder to read than the copies I have provided, the TWX is basically unreadable]