Bunker Hill AFB, IndianaOctober 1959

On the morning of October 8, 1959, military and civilian observers near Bunker Hill Air Force Base in Indiana spotted a bright white light in the sky. The object appeared circular in shape and remained visible for about three hours, from roughly 10:43 a.m. until sunrise. Multiple witnesses stationed at the base's control tower, communications building, and other locations watched as the light moved slowly from east to west and seemed to rise higher in the sky as dawn approached.

The sighting triggered a military response. Two F-102 fighter jets from Lockbourne Air Force Base in Ohio and one F-89 from Bunker Hill were scrambled to intercept the object. Both aircraft climbed to 40,000 feet, but the light remained well above them. The pilots reported that the object resembled a star. Binoculars were used by some observers on the ground to get a closer look, and all witnesses generally agreed on the object's location and movement.

The investigating officer, Lieutenant Harry A. Kersey Jr., concluded that the sighting was most likely the planet Venus, possibly magnified by atmospheric conditions. Calculations showed that Venus was positioned at a bearing of approximately 102 degrees and an angle of 23 degrees at the time of the sighting, which matched the observers' descriptions. The experienced weather officers present agreed that what they saw looked like a star, magnified by the air. The pilots who had pursued the object concurred with this assessment.

One observer also reported seeing an irregular formation of five points of light traveling northwest to southeast across the horizon for about five minutes. However, because no other witness corroborated this sighting and no known aircraft were in the area, investigators discounted it as valid.

The full case file of 13 pages is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.