Dayton, OhioMarch 1957

On the evening of March 22, 1957, multiple people in the Dayton, Ohio area spotted an unusual object in the sky. The sighting began around 5:30 p.m. and continued until about 7 p.m., when darkness made further observation impossible. Witnesses described the object as having a white or pale color overall, with what some described as a reddish or ruddy base and a bright, shiny top. The object appeared to be stationary or moving very slowly, and observers estimated it hung at an altitude between 4,000 and 4,500 feet.

Several witnesses reported seeing the same object from different locations in the area, all during the same time window. A newspaper editor in nearby St. Marys, Ohio, inquired with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base whether the object might be a weather balloon. The editor noted that one observer had estimated the object was as much as 60 miles away, and that the sighting had begun when young people spotted it in the sky, initially thinking they had discovered a new planet.

The Air Force investigation file contains multiple witness questionnaires, though the OCR quality makes some details difficult to read with complete certainty. Observers reported the object remained mostly stationary throughout the sighting. The file notes that weather balloons were being released from nearby Sulphur Grove at the time, and the Air Force determined the sighting coincided with these releases. In their response to the newspaper inquiry, the Air Force concluded the object was a weather balloon, noting that such balloons can produce unusual visual effects and optical characteristics when observed during twilight conditions with the sun below the horizon.

The Air Force's official evaluation of this case was "unidentified," even as investigators suggested weather balloon involvement. The full case file, comprising 22 pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.