The ChillX Zone

The Night the Skies Over D.C. Blinked Back: How a Swarm of Unidentified Radar Contacts Shook the Pentagon in 1952

On this day in 1952, radar screens lit up over the U.S. capital—and the military scrambled for answers.

Skies Over D.C. Ignite

Dubbed the “Washington Merry-Go-Round” by journalists, a series of radar sightings and visual encounters over restricted D.C. airspace stretched from mid-July through July 29. The activity reached a crescendo over the weekend of July 26–27, when airport and Air Force radar simultaneously tracked fast-moving, unidentifiable targets.

Jets in the Dark

F-94 jet interceptors were scrambled in response to the incursions. Pilots reported glowing, evasive lights, while radar operators watched the blips vanish—only to reappear after the jets withdrew. The unknowns appeared to be toying with military response times.

The Pentagon Steps In

On July 29, 1952, Major General John Samford held a historic press conference in a packed Pentagon briefing room. He acknowledged radar anomalies and visual sightings but attributed them to temperature inversions—common atmospheric conditions that can distort radar returns.

Doubt Remains

Despite the official explanation, journalists and military insiders remained skeptical. Why scramble jets for mirages? Why were seasoned airmen reporting objects with seemingly intelligent movement? The answers raised more questions than they resolved.

Secrecy Tightens

Within months, the U.S. government began tightening its messaging. The Robertson Panel, formed in early 1953, recommended reducing public attention on UFO sightings. Project Blue Book would continue quietly—but openness gave way to obfuscation.

An Incident That Endures

Seventy-three years later, the 1952 radar flap stands as a cornerstone in American UFO history. Unlike many sightings, it left behind verifiable radar data, pilot testimonies, and a rare official response—albeit a cautious one.

Echoes in the Present

As the U.S. reopens investigations into “unidentified aerial phenomena,” the 1952 events remind us how the nation once stood at the crossroads of disclosure and denial. What happened over D.C. may not be fully explained, but it’s far from forgotten.