Columbus, IndianaDecember 1953

In early December 1953, two civilians driving near Columbus, Indiana spotted an unusual object in the night sky. The witnesses were traveling east in a car when they looked north and saw what they described as a circular ring of white, cloudy substance. The object had four bright points of light rotating slowly clockwise around its center. The sighting lasted between three and four minutes, though the total observation time, including two stops and one change of direction, stretched to five or six minutes.

The object moved in a controlled manner, descending steadily as it approached the witnesses' location. It then hovered briefly before accelerating abruptly in a straight line at tremendous speed, maintaining its formation as it disappeared. One witness described the disappearance as a "sharp upward level" movement toward the southwest, having approached from the north. The object resembled a jet engine's afterburner when viewed at night, with a bluish-white color and a vapor-like trail. Despite standing outside their car to listen carefully, the witnesses heard no sound.

The Air Force investigation included contact with the main observer, who was described in the report as truthful and honest, with no tendency toward exaggeration. He had been reluctant to share his experience publicly to avoid ridicule but became willing to discuss it after his son, stationed in the Air Force in Saudi Arabia, reportedly had seen a similar object. Weather conditions in the Columbus area during early December showed overcast skies with occasional rain, drizzle, and snow. Visibility ranged from one and a half to fifteen miles depending on fog.

The Air Force ultimately concluded that there was insufficient data for evaluation. The full case file, 10 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.