ANOMALY
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ENC-000916LANDMARK CASE · HIGH CORROBORATIONDATE PRECISION: exactRECORD COMPLETENESS: 86%

Washington National Airport Radar-Visual Flap

Nights of July 19-20 and July 26-27, 1952Washington National Airport / Prohibited Airspace P-56, District of Columbia, United States

Multiple anomalous targets tracked by CAA air traffic controllers and Andrews AFB tower controllers, verified visually by commercial airliners and pursued by USAF F-94 jet interceptors over two consecutive weekends.

Claims are displayed with the source wording, locator, relationship and verification state. Competing claims remain separate rather than being averaged into a single answer.
SOURCE COMPARISON

Encounter · Keyhoe Documented Radar-Visual Correlation

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CLM-004518reported
“At 11:40 PM on July 19, the Air Route Traffic Control radar at Washington National picked up seven unidentified targets fifteen miles south-southwest of Washington. The blips moved at speeds of 100 to 130 miles per hour, then suddenly leaped away at tremendous speed.”
Flying Saucers from Outer Space
SRC-002056 · Chapter 1, pp. 15-18 · PRIMARY SOURCE
SUPPORTS
“The Air Route Traffic Control radar at Washington National picked up seven unidentified targets fifteen miles south-southwest of Washington.”
CLM-004519reported
“Controller Harry Barnes radioed Capital Airlines Flight 807, piloted by Captain S. C. Casey Pierman. Over Herndon, Pierman saw six bright, gleaming lights like falling stars without tails, exactly where Barnes radar scope showed the blips.”
Flying Saucers from Outer Space
SRC-002056 · Chapter 2, pp. 24-27 · PRIMARY SOURCE
SUPPORTS
“Over Herndon, Pierman saw six bright, gleaming lights like falling stars without tails, exactly where Barnes radar scope showed the blips.”
Multiple claim rows are intentionally retained when sources disagree. ANOMALY does not silently reconcile competing values.
SOURCE COMPARISON

Encounter · Keyhoe Documented Jet Interceptor Scramble

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CLM-004520reported
“Lieutenant William Patterson, flying an F-94 Starfire jet interceptor from New Castle AFB, reported four glowing objects suddenly closed in on his jet, forming a ring around him at twenty thousand feet and matching his turns before darting away.”
Flying Saucers from Outer Space
SRC-002056 · Chapter 4, pp. 58-62 · PRIMARY SOURCE
SUPPORTS
“Lieutenant William Patterson, flying an F-94 Starfire jet interceptor... reported four glowing objects suddenly closed in on his jet, forming a ring around him.”
SOURCE COMPARISON

Encounter · Keyhoe Documented Prohibited Airspace Incursion

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CLM-004522reported
“The targets repeatedly hovered over and traversed Prohibited Area P-56, which covers the White House, Capitol, and naval gun factory, defying all civil and military air regulations.”
Flying Saucers from Outer Space
SRC-002056 · Chapter 4, pp. 68-71 · PRIMARY SOURCE
SUPPORTS
“The targets repeatedly hovered over and traversed Prohibited Area P-56, which covers the White House, Capitol, and naval gun factory.”