40 Mi NW of Knoxville, Tenn, October 1955October 1955

On the night of October 20, 1955, a pilot from the 354th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at McGhee Tyson Air Base near Knoxville, Tennessee saw a light in the sky that resembled a bright star. The pilot was flying an F-86D jet at about 25,000 feet, roughly 80 miles southwest of Tri-City Airport. The object appeared orange in color and seemed to be about 10,000 to 20,000 feet above him, positioned to his east. The pilot watched it for two to three minutes.

The object moved in a straight, level path from north to south. As the pilot watched, it began to fade, twinkle, and gradually fade from view. When the pilot spotted the object, he attempted to chase it using his aircraft's airborne radar system. Despite trying to close in, the pilot was unable to catch up to the object. The excessive speed and fading nature of the sighting made it impossible for him to get a closer look or determine what he had seen.

The Air Force investigated the sighting thoroughly. They checked whether weather balloons had been released around the time of the sighting. Two balloons were released at 2100 and 2320 hours, but the timing and climb rate did not match the object's movements. Military Flight Service at Maxwell Air Force Base reported no experimental aircraft in the area. Airlines operating near Knoxville were also contacted, and while one aircraft was in the vicinity, its crew reported seeing nothing unusual. The radar station in the area had been temporarily off the air when the sighting occurred.

The case file lists the Air Force evaluation as "unknown," indicating that investigators could not reach a firm conclusion about what the pilot observed. The full case file, seven pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.