Delphi, IndianaJuly 1949

On the evening of July 23, 1949, two fishermen at a stone quarry near Delphi, Indiana were casting for bass when one of them spotted unusual lights in the sky. The men, who were employees of the Monon Route Railroad, described two distinct disk shaped objects roughly 50 feet across, appearing to be made of shining metal, possibly aluminum or magnesium. They estimated the objects were about 1,500 to 2,000 feet above the ground, hovering to the north of Delphi.

The fishermen watched the objects for approximately four hours, from around 11 p.m. until 3 a.m. (Daylight Saving Time). The objects moved constantly, one rotating clockwise and the other counter clockwise, executing dips, dives, and loops in the sky. As the objects moved through their orbital patterns, they would emit a phosphorescent glow, appearing solid when lit and fading into a straight line as they receded. The objects made no sound. The two witnesses also reported that searchlights from what they believed were police or fire departments briefly tracked the objects across the sky.

The witnesses brought flashlights to bear on the objects and toggled them like hunters leading a flying bird, which they claimed confirmed the objects were tangible and not tricks of light. In their written statement, they systematically ruled out alternative explanations: northern lights (which do not move in regular orbits), searchlights or landing-field beacons (no visible rays or nearby fields), and birds or bats (they tested by positioning themselves between street lights and the objects, with the same glowing effect). They also dismissed the idea that the objects were bright planets, which cannot be tracked with the naked eye.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations conducted interviews with both men in September 1949. Investigators noted that one witness had been a reporter in Indiana's State House and was considered above average in intelligence and honest in his convictions. The other witness was described as quiet and mannered, having served three years in the Navy. Neither had sought publicity. A neighborhood canvass at Delphi and nearby weather station checks yielded no corroborating reports or meteorological explanation. The police station reported no flying object complaints for that date, nor did the Delphi Journal receive any submissions about the incident. The case was officially closed in January 1950 after investigators determined that all logical leads had been exhausted, though no final conclusion on the objects' identity appears in the file.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 18 scanned pages.