◆ SpookStack

@ RESTRICTED Cd] HEADQUARTERS 6TH WEATHER SQUADRON Albrook Air Force Base Canal Zone 17 February 1949 Unidentified Aerial Objects Vicinity of San Andres Islands, Caribbean Sea Commanding General Military Air Transport Service Washington 25, D. C. ATTENTION: AC/S, Aq2 1. In accordance with Restricted letter, Headquarters, 2108th Air Weather Group, subjects Report on Information on "Flying Discs", dated 24 March 1948, the following report is submitted. 2, 4&t 2030 hours on 8 February 1949, Captain McBride of the S. S. Antigua, A United Fruit vessel, berthed at Cristobal pier area, Canal Zone, was interviewed by Intelligence personnel, Caribbean Air Command, concerning three aerial objects sighted by officers of his ship on voy- age to Canal Zone from New Orleans, Louisiana. 3- Captain McBride stated that the first object, which appeared to be a disc, was sighted at 1630 on 6 February 1949 at 12 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, 81 degrees 10 minutes west latitude, in the close vicinity of the San Andres Islands. The S. S. Antigua's course was 152 degrees at 16 knots. When sighted, the object was at an altitude of 60 degrees from the horizon as determined by the ship's sextant in the direction of 120 degrees. As it passes directly over the ship, several officers described it as a round, silver-colored sphere. Although McBride had difficulty in determining its height, he estimated the diameter as 12 to 14 inches. As it passed overhead, bearing 310 degrees, it changed color from silver to yellow to red and went out of sight in the dusk at an altitude of 22 dee grees. The wind at the time was estimated at force four, approximately 296 4. At 1700 on the same date two more objects were sighted, one off the port bow at an altitude between 50 and 60 degrees, and the other off the starboard bow bearing 201 degrees at an altitude of 47 degrees. Both disappeared abeam in the dusk. None showed any luminousity or motivating Power. 5. The circumstances described suggest a possibility that these objects are some type of weather balloons. A study made by this head- quarters of the prevailing winds at all altitudes during the period 4-6 February 1949 virtually eliminate any possibility of a radiosonde instru- ment being the object sighted. The only release point which might have