What did the declassified documents reveal?

1952-04-6311701-Pheonix-Arizona. Released through The Black Vault. This document, dated April 5, 1952, is a report of an unidentified flying object sighting in Phoenix, Arizona. The document, labeled as AF FORM 112—PART I, was approved by the Director of Intelligence, USAF, on June 1, 1948. It is classified as unclassified, declassified after 12 years, and is a report of an unidentified flying object sighting. The report states that on April 5, 1952, at 1:00 PM local time, a witness reported seeing an unidentified flying object in the sky. The object was described as being gray in color, circular in shape, and moving at a very fast speed. It was also reported that the object disappeared and reappeared, and was joined by two other objects that formed a V-formation. The report also mentions that two F-86s landed at Luke Air Force Base from Winslow shortly after the sighting, and three F-51s were en route from Phoenix to Winslow. The witness described the object as having a straight end and level maneuvers, and stated that it was moving at a very fast speed with no vapor trails. The report also mentions that the witness reported seeing the object for approximately 10 minutes. The report concludes that the object was likely a balloon or an aircraft, but the witness was unsure. The report was submitted by Captain Prodr, and is a part of the Air Intelligence Information Report. This document is a report of an unidentified flying object sighting in Phoenix, Arizona, and is a part of the Air Force's records of unidentified flying objects. It is a rare example of a declassified document from the early days of UFO sightings. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. The document can be found at the Black Vault's website, https://archive.org/download/1952-04-6311701-Pheonix-Arizona/1952-04-6311701-Pheonix-Arizonadjvu.txt.

Why was this case declassified?

This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

Declassified USAF File

◆ BLUF — The short version

1952-04-6311701-Pheonix-Arizona. Released through The Black Vault. This document, dated April 5, 1952, is a report of an unidentified flying object sighting in Phoenix, Arizona. The document, labeled as AF FORM 112—PART I, was approved by the Director of Intelligence, USAF, on June 1, 1948.

Agency: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Date: JUL 18 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was Declassified USAF File about?: 1952-04-6311701-Pheonix-Arizona. Released through The Black Vault. This document, dated April 5, 1952, is a report of an unidentified flying object sighting in Phoenix, Arizona. The document, labeled as AF FORM 112—PART I, was approved by the Director of Intelligence, USAF, on June 1, 1948.
Why was this case declassified?: This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked in the case notes above so the citation chain is fully auditable.

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