Engineering Division
Memorandum Report No. MCFEXD-694-18D
28 April 1949
Reflection of the sun's rays may have given an unusual appearance to the object. The second case illustrates the uncertainty of judgments of height or distance. The object looked near, but when it remained in view for an hour the observer decided that it must be very far away. Actually he probably had nothing on which to base an accurate estimate.
Incidents 61 and 61a.
Two couples saw approximately 12 objects flying in formation at what they judged to be 2000 or 3000 feet altitude over Logan, Utah at 22:30. They were judged to be about the size of pigeons and looked white. All four observers agreed that these objects looked and acted somewhat like birds but all thought they were not birds because they appeared to travel much faster than birds.
As we have seen, it is not possible to judge speed accurately under the conditions of these observations, i.e., when looking at objects of unknown size and distance against a night sky. The objects may actually have been a flock of white birds, flying at a relatively low altitude and reflecting the lights of the city.
Incidents 30, 30b, 30c, and 46, 46a, 46b, 46c, 46d.
During the same space of time (about half an hour) on the flight of 7 January 1946 observers at Lockbourne Air Force Base, observers at Clinton County AFB and the pilot of an aircraft flying from Dayton to Washington reported an unidentified object in the sky. All reports agreed as to the color and general appearance of the object, and as to the fact that its light at times was visible through a light overcast. All agreed also that it was seen to the southwest. However, persons at all three locations judged the object to be only a few miles away. To all of them it looked motionless at times, then appeared to gain and lose elevation. A very similar object was seen by numerous
UNCLASSIFIED