Fort Smith, ArkansasApril 1949

On April 15, 1949, at 5:25 p.m. CST, a civilian driving east along Grand Avenue in Fort Smith, Arkansas, spotted an unusual object in the sky. The man had stopped at a traffic light near the intersection of 11th Street and Grand Avenue, about four blocks from downtown, when he glanced upward and noticed a bright, round object hovering at roughly 50 degrees elevation directly above the traffic signal. He got out of his car to watch it more closely and even pointed it out to several other people who had stepped out of their vehicles in the traffic behind him.

The object appeared small, about the size of a nickel held at arm's length. The observer described it as looking like a huge round mirror, with a colorless and bright appearance. The outline was perfectly round, though he could not determine whether it resembled a flat disc or a sphere. The object seemed to reflect sunlight, and the observer estimated its altitude at between 12,000 and 17,000 feet. It flew in a southeasterly direction and disappeared behind a row of trees after about one minute of observation. During that minute, the object traveled roughly 15 degrees across the sky, which the observer calculated suggested a speed of around 200 miles per hour. No sound, odor, trail, or effect on nearby clouds was noticed, and the weather conditions at the time were excellent with clear skies and bright sunlight.

The U.S. Air Force investigated the sighting and interviewed the observer on April 21, 1949. The file describes the witness as reliable and credible, a 52-year-old special delivery carrier for the U.S. Post Office in Fort Smith. When asked if he might have mistaken a conventional aircraft for the object, he stated firmly: "I am certain it was not an airplane. I observed it closely and I do not believe I could be mistaken." The investigation examined weather conditions, checked for scheduled and private aircraft in the area at the time, and investigated possible explanations including weather balloons. No conventional explanation was confirmed.

The Air Force's final evaluation of the case, recorded at the top of the file, lists the sighting as "unknown." The complete case file, 15 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.