Oak Ridge radar detection, October 12, 1950
Document coverPage 1 of 65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_6 · View original on war.gov
USAF radar at Knoxville detected eleven or more unidentified objects traveling across Oak Ridge atomic facility at altitudes of 1,000-5,000 feet with speeds of 100-125 mph; fighter interception attempt made no visual or radar contact.
“USAF RADAR INSTALLATION AT KNOXVILLE AT ELEVEN TWENTYFIVE PM, EST, OCTOBER TWELVE, PICKED UP INDICATIONS OF ELEVEN OBJECTS AND PERHAPS MORE TRAVELING ACROSS CONTROLLED AREA OF ATOMIC ENERGY INSTALLATION AT OAK RIDGE. ALTITUDE OF OBJECTS VARIED FROM ONE THOUSAND TO FIVE THOUSAND FEET, COURSES FROM SOUTH SOUTH EAST TO SOUTHEAST, AND DENSITY FROM READING MADE BY LIGHT AIRCRAFT TO AIRCRAFT EQUAL IN SIZE TO C FORTY SEVEN, SPEED FROM ONE HUNDRED TO ONE HUNDRED TWENTYFIVE MILES PER HOUR. FIGHTER PLANE ATTEMPTED TO INTERCEPT IN FEW MINUTES AND RADAR SCREEN REFLECTED CONTACT, BUT PLANE REPORTED NO OBJECT COULD BE SEEN EITHER VISUALLY OR ON PLANES RADAR SCREEN.”
Verbatim from 65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_6 · View original on war.gov
Case details
- Date
- 1950-10-12
- Precision
- day
- Location
- Oak Ridge, Tennessee, controlled area of Atomic Energy Commission installation
- Country
- United States
- Region
- Tennessee
- Branch
- USAF
- Unit
- USAF Radar Installation, Knoxville
- Sensors
- radar
- Size
- Density from light aircraft to C-47 size
- Altitude
- 3000 ft
Resolution
No visual confirmation despite radar contact; fighter interception made radar contact but pilot reported no visual or radar contact on aircraft
Source document
Agency: FBI
File: 65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_6
Case ID: 1950-USAF-A022
View original on war.gov →Extracted via LLM. Verbatim excerpt validated.