Guatemala, January 1953January 1953

A U.S. citizen living in Guatemala observed a brilliant greenish gold object on the afternoon of January 17, 1953. The witness was riding a bus between Guatemala City and Antigua when he saw the object through an open window at approximately 1555 hours (3:55 p.m.) local time. The object appeared to be about twice the size of a DC-3 aircraft and was traveling northwesterly at an estimated altitude of 6,500 feet and speed of 400 miles per hour.

After observing the object for about ten to thirteen seconds, the witness saw it nearly stop in mid-flight and then rise vertically approximately 1,500 feet. The object remained stationary for roughly two seconds before immediately resuming horizontal flight at its original speed and direction, now at the higher altitude. The entire observation lasted about 22 seconds total, ending when mountains blocked the view. The witness used his watch to time at least part of the sighting and later sketched the incident within about thirty minutes of observing it.

The witness described the object as oblate, or flattened like an orange, with its vertical axis only half the length of its horizontal axis. The outline appeared slightly curved with no flattened surfaces visible. The color was a brilliant greenish gold, possibly intensified by bright sunlight. The witness found no other passengers on the crowded bus remembered seeing the object, though one other passenger, identified only as Mrs. S. Celle, reported seeing a gold-colored thing for about 1.5 seconds.

Air Force investigators from the Office of Special Investigations interviewed the witness in February 1953 and found him to be a credible observer with familiarity with aircraft. The investigators ruled out conventional aircraft because of the object's hovering ability. They noted clear skies and bright sunlight conditions during the sighting. No other air traffic was reported in the area at that time, though the witness stated he had previously observed DC-3 aircraft in that region. The Air Force's final evaluation of the case was listed as unknown. The full case file as held by the National Archives comprises 9 pages.