Belmont, N.C., March 1948 - Incident Number: [ILLEGIBLE]March 1948

On the morning of March 8, 1948, an unidentified object flew over Belmont, North Carolina at approximately 1100 (11:00 a.m.). Three witnesses, including Mr. Ann (a supervisor in the Meter Department of Duke Power Company) and two colleagues, watched it for about ten seconds. The object appeared roughly the size of a small coin when viewed from the ground, shiny silver or bright in color, and moved at an estimated speed of about 600 miles per hour. It maintained a steady reflection that did not flicker, and the witnesses were confident they heard no sound or saw any exhaust trail.

The object moved in a straight line toward the east at constant speed, without changing altitude or direction. It disappeared behind a small white cloud. The weather was clear with excellent visibility and scattered white clouds. The witnesses could not determine whether the object was disc-shaped or spherical, and they estimated it was flying above the cloud layer, though the exact altitude could not be established.

The primary witness impressed investigators as reliable and careful. He was a first-grade engineer who had worked for Duke Power Company for about thirty years and had performed technical work for the government during World War II. Military investigators noted that he did not claim to have seen a "flying disc" but rather an object that could not be identified with any known aircraft or natural phenomenon. He insisted it was "a round metallic appearing object moving very rapidly." The other two witnesses corroborated his account.

In follow-up correspondence, investigators from Air Weather Service and Army Intelligence requested additional details about cloud height, object size relative to distance, and whether other observers had seen the object. The primary witness acknowledged he could not estimate horizontal or slant range since he was not a trained aerial observer and did not know the object's actual size or distance from his position. He remained convinced the object was not a conventional aircraft and heard no sound associated with it. Weather data from Morris Field, located about five miles away, confirmed unlimited ceiling and high thin clouds at the time and location of the sighting.

Page 2 of the file states that the object's speed of 600 miles per hour, lack of exhaust trail, and reported "exactly horizontal course" made it extremely improbable the object was a meteor. The steady reflection that did not flicker also argued against that possibility. The file notes that because the observer was a technical man, his observations were not considered subjective enough to fit an astronomical explanation.

The full case file, comprising 15 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.