Project Blue Book Case #2140. On September 29, 1952, a bright object was observed over Southern Pines, North Carolina — a resort community in the Sandhills region approximately 30 miles from Fort Bragg, the Army's airborne warfare center. The Sandhills area also hosted Camp Mackall, a Special Forces training facility.
Southern Pines sits in the longleaf pine country of the North Carolina Sandhills, with sandy terrain and gentle topography that provided clear sightlines. The proximity to Fort Bragg and Pope AFB meant military air traffic was common.
September 1952 was during the wave's declining phase. The case was classified "Unknown."