Craig, MontanaJanuary 1953

On the night of January 1, 1953, a group of motorists driving on Highway 91 near Craig, Montana, saw something unusual in the sky. The main witness, a sales manager from Helena, was driving with two companions about ten miles south of Cascade when he spotted the object first at a distance of roughly five miles. He described it as shaped like two soup bowls placed face-to-face, silver in color, and measuring about 25 to 40 feet long and 18 to 25 feet thick. The object had several lit windows and what looked like a porthole on the side. At least one witness, a 13-year-old who was also in the car, drew a picture that matched the descriptions given by the adults.

The object approached the group slowly at first, then accelerated. When it reached a point about 100 to 200 feet above the Missouri River and roughly 100 yards from the observers, it shifted to a near-vertical climb and disappeared from sight. The entire sighting lasted approximately ten seconds. The witnesses estimated the object's speed during the climb at around 3,600 miles per hour. The night was clear with bright moonlight and light winds.

The Air Force investigators who reviewed the case found the witnesses to be reliable and credible. The main witness had been an aircraft spotter during World War II. A second witness was described as a responsible person who did not drink, making his observation particularly trustworthy. However, the official investigation noted that the observers had likely seen something unfamiliar to them, and suggested their minds may have exaggerated what they witnessed. The Air Force concluded the sighting was unidentified. The complete case file, as held by the National Archives, spans 10 pages.