Washington UFO Invasion
UFOs invaded the airspace over the nation's capital on two consecutive weekends, tracked on radar and seen by pilots. The incidents triggered the largest Air Force press conference since WWII.
UFOs Over Washington
On July 19-20 and July 26-27, 1952, UFOs invaded Washington, D.C. airspace, tracked on multiple radars and seen by pilots. The incidents triggered the largest Air Force press conference since World War II.
The First Weekend
July 19-20, 1952:
- Saturday night
- Multiple radar contacts
- National Airport
- Andrews AFB
- Visual confirmations
The Second Weekend
July 26-27, 1952:
- Even more dramatic
- More witnesses
- Jet scrambles
- Objects evaded
- National concern
Radar Evidence
Multiple stations:
- Washington National
- Andrews AFB
- Independent confirmation
- Solid returns
- Not weather
Jet Intercepts
F-94s scrambled:
- From Delaware
- To intercept objects
- Objects vanished
- When jets arrived
- Then reappeared
Visual Confirmation
Pilots saw:
- Bright lights
- Moving erratically
- Where radar showed
- Multiple witnesses
- Correlating data
Restricted Airspace
Objects penetrated:
- White House zone
- Capitol Building
- Pentagon area
- Most restricted
- Unprecedented
Public Reaction
National alarm:
- Headlines everywhere
- Public demanded answers
- Government pressure
- Concern growing
- Historic moment
The Press Conference
July 29, 1952:
- Pentagon
- General Samford
- Largest since WWII
- Temperature inversions blamed
- Public skeptical
The Robertson Panel
CIA response:
- January 1953
- Scientists convened
- Recommended debunking
- Changed policy
- Increased secrecy
Significance
The most dramatic UFO intrusion over the U.S. capital, changing government UFO policy for decades.
Legacy
The 1952 Washington incidents represent a pivotal moment that shaped government response to UFOs, establishing patterns of secrecy that lasted until recent years.