On May 31, 1952, at 03:45 Local Time, a Lockheed F-94B Starfire fighter pilot of the 319th Fighter squadron based at Suwon Air Base encountered a UFO over Korea in the South of Chorwon, and it was both a radar and visual sighting, which later was recorded in ufologist Dominique Weinstein's catalog of UFO/Aircraft encounters.
The pilot reported one white-bluish round object, tracked on airborne radar, not on ground radars.
Context information:
When it was assigned the first three all new F-94A all-weather interceptor jets, the 319th became the first all-weather fighter-interceptor squadron of the Air Force. The "all-weather" qualification of course also means that the aircraft is equipped with an on-board radar.
The 319th FIS was deployed to Korea because it was the "most experienced" with the F-94.
The 319th was credited with the first USAF kill of an enemy aircraft through the use of radar targeting without visual contact of the enemy aircraft.
The case does not appear on the Project Blue Book lising of UFOs that remained of unknown origin.
ACUFOE AIRCRAFT / UFO ENCOUNTERS - RADAR / VISUAL CASES 1952
520531 M/AR/G TIME 03:45 LT DURATION
First the object was sighted by ground witnesses. The pilot of a F-94 tracked on his radar and saw a round brilliant bluish-white light. According to the pilot's statement: "On May 31st, 1952, the F-94 descended in a port turn to intercept an unidentifed object 6,000 ft below on a 90 degrees turn course and an altitude of 8,000 ft. The UFO began a port climb at the same time to intercept the descending F-94 and accomplished a maneuver which silhouetted the F-94 against the light of dawn. The F-94 turned on afterburner and tried two quartering head on passes with the UFO resulting in neither being able to get astern of the other. The pilot's maneuvers ensued to 3,000 ft where more passes were exchanged for a few minutes. The UFO then increased his speed to an estimated 400 knots on a 45 degrees heading and began pulling away from the F-94. When last seen, the UFO had seemingly increased his speed to approximately 450 knots where upon the F-94 gave up pursuit at 3:55 and returned to base."
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
Type of Aircraft F-94 fighter
Airline or Air Force USAF (319th Fighter Interceptor Squadron)
Flight origine
Flight destination
Altitude 30,000 ft
speed 450 knots
UFO INFORMATIONS
Number: one
Shape round
Size
Color white-bluish
Altitude (estimation) 8,000 ft
Course
Speed (estimation) 400 knots
RADAR INFORMATIONS
Radar type Airborne Radar (not tracked by ground radars)
Radar set(s) number
Radar Location airborne
Number of target(s) one
Target size
Target altitude
Target speed
Trajectory
Duration
EME
Distance UFO - A/C
Weather
August 21, 2005:
Subject: F-94 ENCOUNTER OVER KOREA. MAY 31, 1952
Date: August 21, 2005
From: [eMail]@[-]tations.com
I, [Firstname] [Name], COLONEL USAF RETIRED, WAS THEN A LIEUTENANT RADAR
INTERCEPT OFFICER ON THIS MISSION AND ALERTED MY PILOT THEN
CAPT. [Firstname] [Name] TO THIS LIGHT TRACKING BELOW US AT ABOUT
8,000', WE WERE AT 15,000' I CALLED BROMIDE WHO WAS OUR FORWARD
RADAR CONTROLLER; THEY HAD NOTHING ON THEIR RADAR AND TOLD US TO
INVESTIGATE. WE WINGED OVER TO OUR LEFT AND BEFORE WE HAD DESCENDED
FAR THE OBJECT WAS ON OUR TAIL. WE FLEW LUFTBERRYS WITH IT UP TO
30,000' AND THE HEAD ON PASSES. IT THEN LEFT US LIKE WE WERE STANDING
STILL. AS I RECALL WE ESTIMATED THE SPEED OF THE UNKNOWN AT ABOUT 2500
KNOTS, NOT 400. OF COURSE THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WE KNEW OF THEN
THAT WAS THAT FAST. THROUGH IT ALL WE FELT RATHER FRUSTRATED IN
THAT IT APPEARED TO BE PLAYING WITH US WITH NOTHING OVERT, AND
WE WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY ANYTHING BUT A BLINDING WHITE LIGHT.
I WAS NEVER ABLE TO PAINT IT ON MY RADAR NOR DID THE GROUND RADAR
CONTROL. I ASKED THE INTERROGATION TEAM THAT CAME TO KOREA FROM JAPAN
IF THEY HAD SIMILAR SIGHTINGS, THEY HAD BUT SAID NO ONE HAD BEEN AS
CLOSE AS WE; WE HAD PASSED EACH OTHER ON THOSE HEAD ON PASSES AT
50' TO 100'. WHEN WE CAME DOWN FROM THE MISSION I WAS SOAKING WET
FROM PERSPIRATION.
THE FOLLOWING DAY THE INFANTRY ON THE LINE REPORTED THIS LARGE ROUND
FLAT OBJECT HAD PASSED OVER THEM AT THE TIME WE FIRST REPORTED THE LIGHT
AND IT WAS AGAIN REPORTED BEING VISUALLY SEEN BY SUPPORT PERSONNEL AT BROMIDE.
