Hawaii, December 1950 - Incident Number: [ILLEGIBLE]December 1950

On Christmas Eve 1950, military personnel and civilians in Hawaii witnessed a bright, fast-moving object streaking across the night sky. The sighting sparked official Air Force interest and generated multiple witness accounts, though the object's true identity remained unclear.

At approximately 2232 hours (10:32 p.m.) on December 24, 1950, an airman from the 1500th Air Police Squadron stationed at Hickam Air Force Base observed a luminous object traveling at high speed from the direction of Barbers Point toward Lanikai, passing over the base and disappearing into clouds above the Koolau mountains. The observer described the object as circular and bright white, resembling fluorescent lighting. It appeared roughly 18 inches in diameter from his vantage point and was traveling at an estimated altitude of 6,000 feet. A distinctive orange flame-type tail extended from the object, about as long as the bright section itself. The witness kept the object in sight for 30 to 45 seconds and heard no sound. He reported maintaining a steady course and altitude with no deviation in flight path.

The sighting was not isolated. A commercial airlift captain flying an SB-17 cargo plane between Johnston and Hickam airfields witnessed the same phenomenon at nearly the same time. Flying at 7,000 feet on a heading of 53 degrees magnetic, the pilot reported a large bright light approaching from the right side of his aircraft. The object passed in front of them and climbed ahead at a speed he estimated over 300 miles per hour, maneuvering like a fighter aircraft. The crew experienced what the pilot described as "prop wash" and noted an orange flame with sparks as the object pulled away. Four crew members witnessed the encounter, and the pilot reported the object came within approximately 200 yards of his aircraft.

Ground-based observers across Honolulu also reported the phenomenon. A newspaper investigation documented multiple civilian sightings on Christmas Eve evening around 10:30 p.m. Witnesses variously described the object as a meteor, a low-flying airplane, or an unidentified rocket. Several observers independently noted the same distinctive features: a brilliant orange color, high speed, level flight parallel to the ground, and no audible sound. One observer estimated the object's altitude at no more than 5,000 feet. When the object entered clouds east of Honolulu, witnesses reported the clouds became illuminated from within.

Air Force intelligence noted that at least ten additional witnesses to the primary sighting had been identified, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet had received similar reports from other observers. One observer speculated the object might be a meteorite based on prior observations of meteorites, though this assessment was not confirmed. The file indicates that investigations were underway and a full report would follow, but no final conclusion appears in these declassified pages.

The complete case file, 15 pages, is held by the National Archives as microfilm T1206, Roll 8.