# Saucers Over Washington: The 1952 UFO Flap That Panicked the Pentagon

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/unexplained-history-7119426/saucers-over-washington-the-1952-ufo-flap-that-panicked-the-pentagon
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/unexplained-history-7119426/saucers-over-washington-the-1952-ufo-flap-that-panicked-the-pentagon.md
Podcast: [Unexplained History](https://stenobird.com/podcast/unexplained-history-7119426)
Published: 2026-05-22T22:34:07+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/saucers-over-washington-the-1952-ufo-flap-that-panicked-the-pentagon--72121779
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72121779/s2e53_final.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/unexplained-history-7119426/episodes/saucers-over-washington-the-1952-ufo-flap-that-panicked-the-pentagon
Duration seconds: 2433

## Resource

In July 1952, radar operators at Washington National Airport saw something impossible: unidentified targets moving through the skies near the White House, the Capitol, and the Pentagon. Pilots reported strange lights. Air Force jets were scrambled. Newspapers exploded with headlines about “saucers over Washington.” But were these objects alien craft, secret military technology, radar ghosts caused by strange weather, or something even more unsettling — a Cold War panic powerful enough to make the government manage public belief? This episode of Unexplained History investigates the 1952 Washington UFO flap, the radar contacts, fighter interceptions, Project Blue Book, the Pentagon press conference, and the CIA-backed Robertson Panel that helped shape decades of official UFO skepticism. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unexplained-history--6429156/support . 🎧 Unexplained History explores the myths, mysteries, and misunderstood moments that shaped our world. Hosted by Tom Mackenzie and Don Masterson. New episodes every week. Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen — and uncover the stories history tried to forget. More at The Unexplained Company History, Mystery, True Crime, Conspiracy, Paranormal, CIA, Cold War, Ancient Aliens, Archaeology, Unsolved, Supernatural, Tom McKenzie, Audio Drama, Storytelling, Documentaries. This episode includes AI-generated content.

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## Transcript

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