Harrisville, MichiganOctober 1953

On October 1, 1953, a civilian observer near Harrisville, Michigan, spotted a highly reflective, silvery object in the early morning sky. The sighting occurred at approximately 0330 (3:30 a.m.) local time, about five miles south of Harrisville. The object appeared roughly twenty degrees above the horizon and moved across the sky with a turn toward a heading of 225 degrees. The observer described the object as round and highly reflective, with no visible noise or exhaust trail. The sighting lasted only three to four seconds before the object disappeared from view.

The Air Force investigation noted that seven F-86 aircraft were airborne in the area at the time, conducting gunnery practice at an altitude of 20,000 feet. The local radar station reported no contact with the object, though it did track the gunnery flights. Weather conditions at the time were clear with twenty to thirty miles of visibility and moderate winds aloft. No physical evidence of the sighting was recovered.

The investigating officer reported that the observer had reported a similar sighting on September 23, 1953, from a location about ten miles away from this incident. The Air Force ultimately classified the object as unidentified, finding no conventional explanation for what the witness observed.

The full case file, including aeronautical charts, weather data, and investigation summaries, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives spanning 20 pages.