Guatemala, March 1950March 1950

On March 15, 1950, three crew members from TACA Airlines reported seeing three to four shiny, metallic objects flying over Guatemala City Airport in Guatemala. The witnesses were standing at the airport's terminal building around 11:00 a.m. when they spotted the objects overhead. All observers described the objects as silver-colored, oval in shape, and roughly the size of a C-54 transport plane. They estimated the objects were flying at about 25,000 feet altitude.

The objects moved in a northward direction directly over the airport runway. The first object flew north for roughly 30 miles before suddenly banking left 130 degrees and reversing course to head back south. Two additional objects then appeared, flying in single file to the north. A fourth object followed moments later. The witnesses estimated the objects' speed at between 1,000 and 1,500 miles per hour. They heard no engine noise and saw no vapor trail, but noted the objects appeared highly polished based on how sunlight reflected off their surfaces.

The Air Force investigation, conducted by the Office of Special Investigations at Maxwell Air Force Base and documented in April 1950, noted that the weather at Guatemala City on March 15 was CAVU, meaning clear above 10,000 feet with unlimited visibility, providing good viewing conditions. The crew members told their story in person to Captain Hall, a fellow USAF Reserve officer and commercial pilot who happened to arrive at the airport later that day. Hall later recounted their account when questioned by Air Force intelligence officers.

The investigators noted that Hall had known the three crew members for approximately four years and found them to be trustworthy and honest. One crew member even showed Hall a newspaper clipping from the Guatemala City press that he believed depicted the objects they had seen. The case file lists the Air Force evaluation as "unknown." This summary reflects a declassified case file of 8 pages held by the National Archives.