30.50N 169.00W (PACIFIC), May 1963May 1963

On May 29, 1963, at 0741 GMT (approximately 1:41 p.m.), a UFO sighting was reported in the central Pacific Ocean east of the Hawaiian Islands, at coordinates 30.50 degrees North latitude and 169.00 degrees West longitude. The object was initially spotted at a bearing of 060 degrees (roughly northeast) and at a 45-degree angle of elevation above the horizon, then descended to a bearing of 022 degrees (north-northeast) and a 12-degree angle of elevation over the course of three minutes. The sky was clear with no unusual weather conditions.

During the three-minute observation, the object reached a maximum brightness comparable to a second-magnitude star (bright enough to be easily visible). It faded and reappeared twice during the sighting before disappearing entirely. The unusual aspect of the sighting was the object's descent from a high angle to a much lower one in such a short time.

The Air Force investigators noted in their report that the object's behavior could suggest an aircraft, but the steep descent from 60 degrees to 12 degrees elevation was unusual for normal aviation. They also considered whether it might have been an astronomical object, but the three-minute duration and the object's movement ruled out known stars or planets. Intelligence analysts observed that if the object had been visible from the east, the sighting location near the Hawaiian Islands would place it in an area of strategic interest.

The Air Force's final evaluation of the case was listed as "unknown." No definitive explanation for the sighting appears in the available documentation.

The complete case file, consisting of 7 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.