a/v over LaJolla, CaliforniaOctober 1957

On October 15, 1957, two Navy pilots flying near La Jolla, California saw an unusual pattern of lights that puzzled them enough to report it to military intelligence. The pilots were flying an HS-4 helicopter. The co-pilot, who had clear visibility, described the lights in detail to investigators.

The pattern consisted of five or six lights of varying colors, including red, white, amber, and blue or green. The lights appeared stationary at an altitude between 600 and 1,000 feet and were located roughly 400 to 500 yards from the shore. The pilots' first reaction was that they were looking at another helicopter approaching them, so the pilot descended from 1,000 feet to 700 feet to avoid a collision. After closer observation, however, both pilots decided the light pattern did not match any conventional aircraft they knew of.

What struck the pilots most was the arrangement of the lights. One red pulsating light sat at the bottom of the group. A white light at the lower left pulsed in rhythm with the red one. A blue light moved side to side like a rotating beacon on top of a helicopter. Another single red light appeared near the top, and two orange-red pulsating lights formed an inverted teardrop shape. The entire pattern appeared to be facing south as it moved slowly north at an altitude of 600 to 700 feet. The observation lasted from roughly 30 seconds to 3 minutes as the pilots' aircraft advanced toward Mission Bay. The co-pilot stated he had no idea what the lights represented.

The pilots initially thought they might be seeing an unconventional aircraft, but after more careful consideration, they believed the light arrangement was too unusual for any standard aircraft design. The pilot consulted with an intelligence officer, who checked records. No other aircraft in the area matched the description. Investigation included checking on other military aircraft in a ten-mile radius and nearby civilian flights. No satisfactory explanation was found. The Air Force concluded the object was "unknown." The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives in 7 pages.