Incident · 29 January 1952 · Over Wonsan and Sunchon, North Korea
Wonsan–Sunchon B-29 sightings
Also known as Wonsan-Sunchon, Korea 1952
Around 11 p.m. on 29 January 1952, during the Korean War, three gunners on a U.S. Air Force B-29 flying at 22,500 feet some 30 miles west-southwest of Wonsan, North Korea, watched a light orange sphere, "the color of the sun with an occasional bluish tint", hold a parallel course for five minutes. Twenty-four minutes later, two gunners on a B-29 from a different squadron near Sunchon reported an identical object for one minute. The crews were combat veterans and were interrogated separately.
Project Blue Book's case file shows that ATIC reached no conclusion. Its propulsion group ruled out known engine exhaust, and the file offers tentative explanations: a flare towed by an aircraft to mark the bomber for flak crews, the exhaust of a Soviet La-9 or La-11 fighter, an aircraft-mounted searchlight, or balloons. An Air Force memo noted that the press release had "played up the 'flying saucer' aspects". Far East Air Forces commander Lt. Gen. Otto P. Weyland told the press that no conclusive answer could be expected without more data.
Sources: Project Blue Book case file, U.S. National Archives (local copy) · Wikipedia
Facts and claims
- documented According to ATIC's analysis, at 2300 local time on 29 January 1952, 30 miles WSW of Wonsan, three gunners of a B-29 flying at 22,500 ft watched a light orange sphere, “the color of the sun with an occasional bluish tint”, on a parallel course for five minutes. At 2324, two gunners of another B-29 near Sunchon, at 22,250 ft, saw an identical object for one minute. Source: doc-bluebook-korea-1952.pdf
- unverified Press accounts added details not in the case file, including a speed of about 200 mph and “blue flames like those of a cooking stove”. Source: en.wikipedia.org (archived)
- documented ATIC reached no conclusion on the objects' identity or origin; its propulsion group ruled out jet, pulse-jet, ram-jet and rocket exhaust. Tentative explanations in the file include a flare towed by an aircraft, the exhaust of an La-9 or La-11 Soviet fighter, an aircraft-mounted searchlight, and balloons. Source: Project Blue Book case file: KOREA, January 1952
- claimed Far East Air Forces commander Lt. Gen. Otto P. Weyland told the press, “We can't say there's nothing to it, but unless we can get more data, I don't think we can expect a conclusive answer” (Stars and Stripes, February 22, 1952). — Otto P. Weyland Source: en.wikipedia.org (archived)
Connected files
Documents
- Project Blue Book case file: KOREA, January 1952 (documented in)
People
- Otto P. Weyland (addressed by) — Gen. Weyland told the press no conclusive answer could be expected without more data
Programs
- Project Blue Book (investigated by) — Blue Book's case file shows ATIC reached no conclusion
Mentioned in this file
- National Archives and Records Administration (Organization)
- National Air and Space Intelligence Center (Organization)
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