8 Mi E of St George, UtahSeptember 1959

On the night of September 22 to 23, 1959, a bright white light appeared in the sky eight miles east of St. George, Utah. The light was constant and as bright as the anti-collision beacon on a large aircraft. A doctor who was also a pilot, along with about ten other adults, watched it climb from roughly 15 to 20 degrees above the horizon to about 30 degrees as it traveled from east to west at very high speed and altitude, estimated between 60,000 and 80,000 feet. The object remained visible for four to five minutes before it disappeared over the western horizon.

The observers reported that the light crossed directly over and above a second military jet aircraft that was flying in the area, trailing behind a first jet by five to ten miles. The Flight Service noted that it was unable to identify the two jets or confirm that any aircrew saw the object. Because the second jet was relatively distant and the object passed overhead, it was considered unlikely that anyone aboard the aircraft would have spotted it.

The Air Force investigators noted the sighting seemed reliable and the weather conditions were excellent for observation. They remarked that the object probably was an aircraft anti-collision light. However, follow-up messages from the Air Force Office of Intelligence questioned whether the size estimate was actual or apparent, asked for clarification about how the object crossed over the jet, and noted that if the light was as intense as reported, the two aircraft should have seen it.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives across seven pages.