Fort Sill, Okla., October 1959October 1959

On October 8, 1959, observers at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and in nearby Lawton spotted a small, round object in the sky that changed color as the sun set. The object began as blue-white and turned orange as sunset approached. Most observers said the blue-white color looked like sunlight shining through the object rather than light coming from the object itself. Through a telescope, the object appeared to have a ridge circling it.

The sighting lasted about two hours. Multiple observers watched from different locations: some stood at a building at Fort Sill, others were at a street address in Lawton, and a TV station crew watched from roughly four miles east of Lawton on Highway 7. A U.S. Army pilot flying a small aircraft (an L-20) also spotted the object while trying to land. He was flying on instruments at the time. The object moved very slowly and occasionally swayed back and forth, which made it appear more teardrop-shaped than round during these motions. It gradually faded from view as it traveled toward the west-southwest, apparently moving in the direction the winds were blowing at high altitude.

The Air Force's initial assessment noted that the object's slow movement, its description, and the fact that it drifted with the wind patterns all pointed toward one conclusion: this was most likely a large experimental balloon. The investigating officers checked with military and civilian agencies in the area about any balloon activities. All responses came back negative. Observers made ink drawings of what they saw, which were kept on file at headquarters.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, consisting of 7 pages.