Abington, West VirginiaNovember 1957

On November 8, 1957, residents of Abington, West Virginia observed a glowing object high in the sky. The object appeared elongated, like a missile or projectile, and was orange to red in color. It traveled in a northwesterly direction and was visible for approximately four to five minutes before disappearing below the horizon.

Multiple witnesses reported the sighting independently. One observer described the object as roughly 18 feet long and about 4 feet wide at its widest point, tapering to a point at the opposite end. The object maintained a vertical orientation and appeared to be flying at a considerable altitude, well above typical aircraft. The observers noted it made no sound. The object seemed to descend gradually toward the western horizon as it moved northwestward.

Military intelligence officers interviewed the witnesses and gathered details about the sighting. The investigators noted that Abington sits almost directly under a major air traffic route and that Langley Air Force Base is located in the region. The file indicates that investigators considered whether the object might have been a high-flying aircraft but found the shape and color unusual. Weather conditions at the time were clear with excellent visibility, and no unusual activity was reported in the area.

The Air Force's written conclusion, visible on the initial case form, suggests the object was possibly a balloon, noting that the shape and color could have been caused by reflections from the setting sun. However, the file records mark the case evaluation as "unknown," indicating that the Air Force did not definitively determine what was observed.

The full case file, comprising 10 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.