Baltimore, MarylandNovember 1954

On November 7, 1954, a husband and wife driving on a highway about five miles north of Baltimore, Maryland, saw an unusual object in the evening sky. The couple, later identified in the file as Dr. John S. and Mrs. [redacted name], both witnessed what they described as a cigar-shaped craft with a brilliant silver or metallic color. The object appeared roughly four to five times as long as a four-engine transport airplane.

The sighting lasted approximately one minute and fifteen seconds. When first spotted at a low angle of elevation, the object was oriented vertically and slowly rotated to a horizontal position. It then maintained a constant speed and altitude as it traveled east, passing south of the observers. The object's estimated altitude was around 30,000 feet, and its speed was calculated to be roughly twice that of conventional propeller-driven fighter aircraft in the area. The object had a blunt nose and what witnesses described as a fuzzy tail, with no visible exhaust trail or discernible sound. The object gradually faded from view as it disappeared into smog covering the Baltimore area. Notably, a transport-type aircraft and two fighter-type aircraft were observed in the vicinity at lower altitudes, but their flight patterns differed from the unknown object.

Dr. S. was employed as an instructor at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The file notes that observers reported the weather was clear and the object was fully visible for the first minute of observation before gradually fading into the smoke and hog cover. The Air Force investigation, designated Flight 3-H, concluded that the object was possibly a balloon. The file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives across 18 pages.