Goose Bay, Labrador, September 1949September 1949

On the night of September 10, 1949, a pilot flying an NBC (National Broadcasting Company) aircraft near Goose Bay, Labrador, spotted an unusual object at high altitude. The plane was traveling at about 152 knots at 6,000 feet when the crew encountered something remarkable roughly 30 nautical miles away.

The object appeared egg-shaped, with a yellow and red front section that looked like it was on fire. The rear glowed brilliant yellow-white. Witnesses described it as roughly the size of a railroad tank car, traveling at an estimated 400 miles per hour and descending at a steep 70-degree angle. The object maintained steady, slightly curved flight without any flutter or apparent means of propulsion. No exhaust trail, no sound, nothing but that strange glow in the darkness. After just seconds of observation, the object disappeared into a cloud layer.

An Air Force intelligence memo noted the crew's reliability. The pilot initially thought the craft was on fire and falling, then reconsidered. A weather check confirmed excellent overhead visibility at the time. No explanation appeared in the file.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 106 scanned pages from microfilm T1206, Roll 6.