Department of War PURSUE File
65_HS1-101634279_100-DE-18221_Serial_844
Detroit, MI·4/17/58
Editorial summary
On April 17, 1958, at 1:08 a.m., a Detroit resident telephoned the FBI to report an aerial object he had observed while traveling home from work. The witness described the object as circular with a crystal-type dome that reflected light. He reported it moving in a northern direction across Detroit, passing three blocks south of Six Mile Road at Lamphere Street.
The witness was 23 years old and the son of a Detroit police officer. He had prior experience with the Civil Air Patrol but acknowledged limited familiarity with aircraft identification. Before contacting the FBI, he had attempted to reach Selfridge Field to report his observation to Air Force personnel but was unsuccessful in making contact.
The FBI's responding agent recommended forwarding the information to appropriate Air Force authorities for further investigation. The document does not indicate what, if any, follow-up investigation was conducted or whether Air Force personnel were subsequently able to identify the object.
Editorial summary written by govweird from the declassified document text. The official government description follows below.
Government description
An FBI memo from 1958 reporting a UFO sighting by a Detroit man who described a "circular object with a crystal-type dome," and recommending that the information be forwarded to "proper air force authorities."
Caption issued by the U.S. Department of War on war.gov/ufo. Verbatim, unedited.
Originating agency
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Record type
Incident date
4/17/58
Incident location
Detroit, MI
Release tranche
Release 01 (May 8, 2026)
Distribution
Cleared for public release