Offutt AFB, Omaha, Nebraska, September 25, 1952, 10:15 a.m.
THINK ABOUTIT UFO|UAP SIGHTINGS REPORT
1952: Offutt AFB, Omaha, the Silver Spheres
At 10:15 a.m. on September 25, 1952, A/1C James O. Howell, leaving a building at Strategic Air Command headquarters at Offutt AFB near Omaha, heard an aircraft and looked up. Directly overhead, at very high altitude, he saw a small, silver, round object about the size of a quarter, stationary in the sky.
It moved east and was joined by a second similar object, and both disappeared. One reappeared moving west. Howell called S/Sgt. Robert S. Lewis, and both airmen watched for about five minutes until one object climbed out of sight and the other followed. Both were airmen at the headquarters of the Air Force command that guards the national bomber force.
Date: September 25, 1952
Sighting Time: 10:15 a.m. CST
Day/Night: Day
Location: Offutt AFB, Omaha, Nebraska (Strategic Air Command headquarters)
Urban or Rural: Military base near a city
No. of Entity(‘s): None reported
Entity Type: Not applicable
Entity Description: Not applicable
Hynek Classification: DD (Daylight Disc)
Duration: About 5 minutes
No. of Object(s): 2
Description of the Object(s): Small, silver, round objects, stationary at very high altitude directly overhead; one moved east and was joined by another; one later reappeared moving west
Shape of Object(s): Round
Size of Object(s): About the apparent size of a quarter held at arm’s length
Color of Object(s): Silver
Distance to Object(s): Very high altitude
Height & Speed: Very high; stationary, then moving east and west; one climbed out of sight
Number of Witnesses: 2 (A/1C James O. Howell and S/Sgt. Robert S. Lewis)
Special Features/Characteristics: Two objects meeting and parting; one disappeared and reappeared; seen at the home of Strategic Air Command; both witnesses airmen; an aircraft was heard first
Case Status: Insufficient Data
Source: Blue Book file (SAC Air Intelligence Information Report)
Summary/Description: Two airmen at SAC headquarters watched two small silver round objects hover, meet, separate and climb out of sight over Offutt AFB for about five minutes on September 25, 1952.
Related Cases: the other September 17–30 military-base reports on the September 17th–30th page, including Killeen
DETAILED REPORT
A/1C James O. Howell was leaving a building at Strategic Air Command headquarters at about 10:15 a.m. CST when he heard an aircraft and looked up. He saw a small silver round object, about the size of a quarter, stationary at very high altitude directly overhead. It moved east and was joined by a second similar object, and then both disappeared. One later reappeared and moved west.
Howell called S/Sgt. Robert S. Lewis and both men watched for about five minutes. One object climbed out of sight and was followed by the other. The report went from the base to Air Force Intelligence as an Air Intelligence Information Report.
RESEARCHER’S NOTES
Offutt 1952: Two Airmen, Two Silver Spheres, the Command Post of SAC
- Where it happened: Offutt was Strategic Air Command headquarters. Airmen working there were used to watching high-altitude aircraft and contrails, which makes their report of something that was not an aircraft worth keeping.
- Balloon comparison: Small silver round objects stationary at great height are what high-altitude balloons look like. The file does not say whether balloons were checked, and the card leaves the explanation boxes open.
- Behavior: The meeting, parting and reappearing are what the witnesses reported and are the part that a simple balloon explanation does not cover.
- Limits: Two witnesses, five minutes and no instrument confirmation.
Offutt is a short, clear daytime sighting by two airmen at the SAC command post. Blue Book left it without an explanation for lack of data.
