January 22, 1950🇺🇸Military Encounter
CongressionalRadar Evidence
Kodiak, Alaska: Navy radar-visual UFO encounters
Navy pilot Lt. Smith detected fast-moving objects on radar during a patrol near Kodiak, Alaska, while the USS Tillamook crew observed a glowing orange light circling the area. Multiple radar tracks and visual sightings occurred, with one object approaching the plane threateningly.
Background
Initial Radar Detection At 2:40 a.m. on January 22, 1950, Lieut. Smith, piloting a Navy P2V from Naval Air Station Kodiak, Alaska, recorded a radar contact 20 miles north that vanished rapidly. Kodiak radar confirmed no friendly aircraft but tracked similar signals.
Shipboard Visual Sighting Around 3:00 a.m., crew on the tug USS Tillamook, positioned south of Kodiak, spotted a swift red glowing object resembling exhaust, originating southeast, circling clockwise around the island, and departing southeast. An officer described it as a large orange fireball visible for 30 seconds, silent.
High-Speed Approach By 4:40 a.m., Lt. Smith's crew visually confirmed two rotating orange lights around a center point after radar showed a blip closing five miles in 10 seconds, implying 1,800 mph speed. The object turned sharply toward the aircraft; Smith deemed it threatening, extinguished lights, and it passed by before vanishing.
Additional Sightings and Reports Later patrols by Lt. Causer and Lt. Barco reported similar unidentified contacts 62 miles south. At least 35 copies of the report went to FBI, CIA, AFOSI, and State Department, but none released publicly. Event involved radar-visual correlation by military personnel, highlighting aviation risks.
Connections
🏛Organizations(1)