Cold Bay, AlaskaJanuary 1954

On January 30, 1954, a U.S. Air Force transport plane was flying near Cold Bay, Alaska when its crew spotted a red glowing light. The light appeared at eleven o'clock position relative to the aircraft, then dropped back toward the left wing tip and began oscillating up and down. As the plane continued, the light moved to a position seven to fifteen miles behind it, accelerated rapidly, then stopped abruptly near the left wing tip again. After about nine minutes of observation, the glow gradually faded from sight. The aircraft was flying at 3,300 feet and traveling 222 knots (about 255 miles per hour).

The crew reported seeing no clear shape or size, no noise, and no exhaust trail from the object. The file notes that the aircraft commander observed the light was brighter than a reflection from Cold Bay volcano in the area. Air Force investigators looked at several possible explanations. The brief comments in the case file mention that the description suggested "possible auroral streamers," referring to natural light displays in the upper atmosphere caused by solar activity. However, the file states there was insufficient data to reach a firm conclusion about what caused the sighting.

The Air Force evaluators ultimately marked this case as "unknown" because they could not identify the object with confidence. The file notes that the evaluation posed no threat to the defense of the United States. The full case file, comprising 8 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.