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# Declassified Government UFO Case Files

This document collection contains five separate UFO sighting investigations conducted by the U.S. Air Force between October and November 1949. The reports, totaling 65 pages, represent investigative work from multiple districts of the Office of Special Investigations. Here are the five main cases:

## Copco, California (October 8, 1949)

A man near Copco reported seeing a silvery gray object about the size of a four-engine aircraft at 3,500 feet. The object was initially stationary, but when he looked away to get binoculars, it disappeared rapidly, traveling northeast at roughly three times the speed of jet aircraft while climbing at a 45-degree angle. Investigators found no radar confirmation from the region and concluded that unidentified aircraft in the area, many of which filed no flight plans, could not be reliably tracked or eliminated as the source.

## Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (October 11, 1949)

Two men working at a plumbing shop observed a disc-shaped object in clear skies for about six seconds. One witness, a former Navy pilot, estimated the object at about 40 feet in diameter and traveling at 900 to 1,900 mph at an altitude of roughly 15,000 to 20,000 feet. The object appeared metallic and seemed to revolve on a horizontal axis. Weather conditions that morning included ground fog and reduced visibility initially, clearing later. No conventional explanation was documented in the file.

## West Unity, New Hampshire (November 2, 1949)

Multiple neighbors reported observing a star-like object that appeared, disappeared, and reappeared over several weeks. On November 2, witnesses described a yellowish object that turned reddish near the horizon, with bright white points of light around its perimeter. Movement was slow and steady. An astronomy professor from Dartmouth College suggested the witnesses had likely observed stars like Arcturus or Antares, whose appearance can be distorted by atmospheric haze and refraction. The investigator concluded this explanation plausible, though one witness remained uncertain.

## Oxford, Mississippi (November 16, 1949)

Five observers, including a store owner and farmers, reported a cylindrical object between 30 and 50 feet long, resembling a "beam of light" or vapor cloud. The object moved at roughly 30 mph in daylight under clear skies, appearing to maintain level flight or climb slightly. One observer traveling by truck attempted to keep pace. The object had a whitish-gray color and appeared to reflect sunlight. No exhaust or sound was reported. The file contains no definitive conclusion about the object's nature.

## Raceland, Louisiana (November 18, 1949)

A retired insurance agent and four witnesses observed an object resembling an aircraft fuselage without protruding appendages, larger than a cargo plane. The object was shiny and aluminum-colored, executed precise 90-degree turns, and flew at an estimated speed comparable to a large aircraft. The tail section appeared to split when the object turned. No sound, exhaust, or lights were observed. Civil Aeronautics Administration records showed no aircraft maneuvering in the area at that time.

## Investigation Methods

The Air Force investigators consulted weather services, radar operators, Civil Aeronautics Authority records, local police, and the FBI. They also interviewed witnesses about their backgrounds, reliability, and ability to observe. In some cases, astronomers or other experts were consulted to rule out natural explanations. No radar confirmations were obtained for any of the sightings, and no physical evidence was recovered. The case files note that many civilian aircraft in the region operated without flight plans, complicating the elimination of conventional aircraft as causes.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 65 scanned pages.