UFOs over Washington
The account
Unidentified objects flew over the White House and the Capitol for days, chased by fighter jets, in a show of force.
What investigators found
The Air Force attributed the radar returns to temperature inversions in the air. Some pilots and operators never accepted that explanation.
The story
Over two weekends in July 1952, radars at Washington's airport and at Andrews Air Force Base showed unknown targets over the American capital, including the restricted airspace over the White House and the Capitol. Airline pilots saw lights, and fighter jets were sent to intercept.
The uproar was so great that on July 29 the Air Force held its largest press conference since World War II. General John Samford attributed the readings to temperature inversions, when layers of warm air bend radar waves. The episode helped create an official panel of scientists, which recommended treating the subject with caution.