10AD-4-53 — 1953-02-18 — Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alaska (over Knik Arm)

At approximately 18/0455Z February 1953, five members of the 39th Air Police Squadron sighted a large red light over Elmendorf AFB, first appearing at the west end of runway 05 at about 1500 ft altitude. The object climbed gradually traveling slightly slower than a jet in a southwesterly direction, crossed Anchorage, then circled west over Knik Arm. When a fighter interceptor was scrambled and became airborne, the light's speed noticeably increased; on reaching the middle of the arm, the light climbed vertically far faster than any jet observed and disappeared. The fighter reported no contact; nearby radar was operational but reported no sighting. Duration 5-10 minutes. All airmen had previously observed falling stars and stated the sighting did not resemble such. A similar sighting had been made the previous evening (10AD-3-53).

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