Project Blue Book Case #1964. On August 24, 1952, witnesses in Tucson, Arizona, observed an oval, metallic-appearing object in the sky — the second Blue Book unknown from Tucson that summer (the first being Case #2105 from September 17). Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, a major Strategic Air Command installation, dominated the city's southeastern side.
This August sighting came during the peak of the 1952 wave, when Tucson's position in the heart of the military's southwestern test and training corridor made it a natural focal point for aerial observations. The clear desert skies, often with unlimited visibility, provided ideal conditions for spotting unusual objects.
Davis-Monthan was home to SAC bomber units and also served as the Air Force's primary aircraft storage and reclamation facility — the famous "boneyard" where thousands of decommissioned aircraft were stored in the dry desert air. Personnel at the base handled aircraft of every type and vintage, giving them an encyclopedic familiarity with aerial vehicles.
The oval, metallic object described by witnesses did not match any aircraft type in active service or in storage at the base. Its appearance in daylight, reflecting sunlight from what appeared to be a solid surface, was inconsistent with atmospheric phenomena or light effects. The object's movement characteristics further distinguished it from conventional aircraft.
Investigators coordinated with Davis-Monthan and found no flight operations matching the sighting. The case was classified "Unknown" — the first of two Tucson unknowns from the remarkable summer of 1952.