Ft Worth, TexasJune 1955

On the morning of June 26, 1955, around 5:15 a.m., a resident of Fort Worth, Texas, observed an unusual object through a telescope while looking at the sky. The witness was a public school teacher with training in aeronautics, meteorology, and geology. The object appeared bright silver and round, with what looked like a smaller satellite-like body circling around it. The witness watched for about eight minutes as the object moved erratically, changed shape, hovered, and eventually broke apart or exploded.

The object was significantly brighter than the surrounding stars. Through the telescope, the witness saw it shifting direction and altitude, first appearing at roughly 38 degrees above the horizon toward the east-northeast, and last seen at about 72 degrees above the horizon toward the east. The witness initially thought the object might be a balloon, but its behavior seemed unusual. During the observation, it suddenly accelerated at high speed and then slowed down again, displayed flickering or pulsating light, and changed its shape multiple times before the final breakup.

The Air Force investigator concluded the sighting fit the pattern of a balloon that had exploded, with the smaller satellite-like object being its payload. The investigator noted that the object's color, motion, and flight characteristics all matched this analysis. The case file documents the witness's detailed questionnaire responses and sketches showing the object's path and apparent positions, recorded on October 1, 1955, several months after the sighting. The full case file, comprised of 11 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.