Fort McKinley, OhioAugust 1962

Insufficient Data

Summary

On the evening of August 20, 1962, a witness at Fort McKinley, Ohio, observed a solid object in the western sky that appeared dimmer than the brightest stars. The object remained visible for 20 to 30 minutes before disappearing behind trees to the southwest.

The witness described the object as silver and appearing to consist of two parts rotating around each other. It had a bar shape, roughly the length of four stars, with a bulge in the middle. The object moved at speeds three to four times faster than a jet aircraft. Its flight path was uneven and abrupt, with radical up-and-down deviations as it descended toward the southwest.

The Air Force investigator noted significant inconsistencies in the report. The witness provided considerable detail about the object's appearance despite claiming it was dimmer than stars, which seemed contradictory. The investigator observed that while some characteristics of the sighting resembled a balloon observation, the erratic up-and-down movements in the object's flight pattern did not fit that explanation. The file states there was "insufficient data for analysis," and much of the information in the report appeared conflicting.

The Air Force's final evaluation marked this case as unknown, finding insufficient data to reach a definitive conclusion about what was observed that evening.

This case file, consisting of nine pages as held by the National Archives, has been reproduced below in full.

Reported location

Fort McKinley, Ohio

Date of incident

August 1962

State / country

OH / US

Page count

9 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 46

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 9

View transcribed text

. :
™
| PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD | d
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS | |
£1 Wos Balloon 1
20 August 1962 Fort McXinley, Ohio 2 BITHY pein | 1
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4 TYPE OF OBSERVATION sia Bhi Bo Lots
{ 0 Was Aircraft i
RY a i a ii £ Ground- Visual 0 Ground-Radar 0 Probably Aircrafy |
GMT 21/01207Z a Air Visual 0 Air-Intercept Radar DO Possibly Aircraft
| 5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE 0 Was Astronomical
| QO Yes O Probably Astronomical
| enh me RE a RE O Possibly Astronomical
| 7. LENGTH OF C3SSRVATION I's. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE BE a
| BX Insufficient Dato for Evaluation
| 4 0 Unknown
| 20-30 minutes i Or 2 SH BG SE A RB SRI
| 0. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 1). COMMENTS
| i : p P Eo
| Solid obj dimmer than the brightest Insufficient data for analysis,
| stars observed through BX for 20-30 Much conflicting information in
minutes, Disappeared behind trees. rpt, Obj in sight for 20-30 nmians
Obj was silver & seemed to be two & speed indicated at 3-4 times
| EY : Bg 2
objs rotating around each other, that of jet. Flight was uneven
| Bar shaped. Length of four stars, Had | & abrupt up & down, Obj dimmer
bulge in middle. Observed in West and than stars yet much detail given. |
obj disappeared in SW after up & down | Obsbation has some characteristids
radical descent, Speed three or four of balloon sighting, ezcept for
imes as fast as a jet. the up & down deviations in
filight,
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52) i
ER 5 A 6 0 1 mo
; : :
{11 / |
1]
CF EE RC Tr FER Rr 10 rT Wo A ET Sr PE PV rE % 3

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28998718