January 7, 1948 — Lockbourne AFB, OH
7:15 p.m. Air Traffic Controller and pilot Alex A. Boudreaux and VHF Direction-Finding (DF) Operator and amateur astronomer Frank M. Eisele, 103rd AACS Squadron, at Lockbourne AFB [now Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base] in Lockbourne, Ohio, spot a bright object to the southwest of the airfield that appears and disappears intermittently.
Fighter pilot USAF Capt. Charles E. McGee sees the object on runway 23 landing approach when he is at about 1,800 feet. The light seems to be at about 3,000 feet to the southwest about 4–5 miles away, then later on the ground to the west about 6–7 miles away. USAF VHF DF Operator and pilot Albert R. Pickering, Detachment 733, 103rd AACS Squadron, is awakened by the sudden emergence of a lighted amber-colored round or oval object about the size of a C-47 or larger [60+ feet] dropping out of the overcast bank 10,000 feet overhead. Lockbourne Control Tower at the same time radios a report of the object, which then maneuvers over to Commercial Point about 3–5 miles away to the west-southwest, then makes three full 360° circles over one spot in 30-40 seconds per turn over the runway, at a speed of more than 500 mph, leaving a luminous, amber-colored trail or exhaust about 5 times its length. Then the UFO goes to another location and does more 360° turns. At one point, it disappears into the overcast for one minute, then reappears. Just before departing, it hovers or “appeared to touch down” on the grass extension past the end of the Lockbourne AFB runway for 10 seconds then leaves at 120° (ESE) heading into the overcast. It is also sighted by the pilot of a C-45 at 5,000 feet off the right wing at 7:53 p.m. [Eberhart]I
Incident 30 Record Card:
Incident 30 Summary:
Incident 30 Checklist:
Incident 30a Checklist:
Incident 30b Checklist:
Incident 30c Checklist:
Incident 32 Record Card:
Incident 32 Summary:
Incident 32 Checklist:
Major Campbell Report:
Pickering Incident Summary:
Statement [Charles McGee]:
Statement [Eisele]:
Sources:
Brad Sparks, Blue Books Unknowns Catalogue, Case 70, p. 32;
NICAP, “Object Circles Base at High Speed / Touches Down”;
