ELMENDORF AFB, ALASKANovember 1954

On November 9, 1954, an observer at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska watched a small white object fly through the sky for about 20 minutes. The object was round and about the size of a pea when viewed from the ground. It flew in complete circles, starting at a low angle of 45 degrees above the horizon and gradually climbing until it came to rest at approximately 80 degrees elevation, both times in the direction of Fire Island.

The observer was able to track the object's path with some precision. It moved in circles at a heading of 300 degrees, and its final position put it looking roughly west-southwest from the base. The entire sighting lasted from roughly 2:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m., a window of time during which the Air Force had launched a weather balloon from the base at 2:30 p.m. That same balloon burst at 3:03 p.m., about ten minutes after the sighting ended.

The Air Force investigators noted that a rawinsonde balloon (a weather balloon used to measure conditions in the upper atmosphere) had been launched at the exact time the object was first observed. Given the timing, the object's smooth circular movements, and its steady climb into the sky, the Air Force concluded that what the observer had seen was most likely the weather balloon. The case file lists the evaluation as "probably balloon," suggesting the investigators felt fairly confident in this explanation, though some uncertainty remained.

The full case file, consisting of 5 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.