Alexandria, LouisianaJuly 1949

On July 7, 1949, at about 9 p.m., Mrs. Wanner was sitting on her front porch at 1821 Waschauer Street in Alexandria, Louisiana, when she noticed a bright object in the sky. She called neighbors to look at it. The object appeared round and about six inches in diameter, like a small light bulb when turned on. It had an orange color and seemed to have no visible means of propulsion.

The object's motion was unusual. It first appeared to fall straight down, like a falling star, but then changed direction and moved from north to west for about two and a half minutes, keeping level with the ground. It then reversed course and flew back toward the north for another two and a half minutes. Throughout these movements, the object maintained a smooth, constant speed without any variation. There was no sound, no exhaust, and no visible support structure. After moving slightly to the north and increasing altitude, it gradually faded from sight. The entire sighting lasted approximately five minutes.

The Air Force's Office of Special Investigations interviewed Mrs. Wanner and confirmed her account with two other witnesses present at the time. Investigators checked with the local airport and learned that only one Piper Cub airplane without landing lights was in the area, making practice landings at roughly the same time. They also confirmed that no weather balloons had been released by the Civil Aeronautics Administration weather station. The investigation found no radar data, photographs, or physical evidence related to the sighting. The file indicates the case was closed by the 9th OSI District on September 10, 1949, with no further action contemplated.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives across 19 pages.