July 12, 1952 — Arlington Heights, IL
9:04 p.m. Two USAF F-86 Sabre jets with the 62nd Flight Squadron are flying at 22,000 feet on a routine training mission (or on a scramble mission) over Arlington Heights, Illinois. Capt. Robert W. Casey Jr., after coming out of a right turn, sees an oblong yellowish lighted object with an exhaust moving in a straight course about 15 miles away south of Elgin, Illinois, at 22,000 feet traveling at 800 mph. The F-86 pursues at maximum speed, but the object pulls away. Both pilots hear a strange radio transmission on their restricted communications channel during the pursuit saying the name of the pursuit pilot, Casey, in an ethereal “ghost-like” monotone. Apparently, this is a prank by Casey’s fighter pilot buddies at the 62nd who are monitoring his channel, though this is later officially denied by the 62nd. [Eberhart]
AF-112 No.1:
AF-112 No.2:
AF-112 No.3:
Sources:
Brad Sparks, Blue Book Unknowns Catalogue, Case 672, p. 147;
NICAP, “F-86 on Scramble Mission / Strange Radio Transmission”;