INYOKERN CALIF, September 1952September 1952

On the night of September 27, 1952, between about 10:00 and 10:30 p.m., a civilian driving near Inyokern in the Mojave Desert of California reported a round object that changed color rapidly. He was traveling with his wife and another couple toward Reno, Nevada. He later gave a recorded statement to an Air Force officer at Stead Air Force Base.

The man said the object was large and turned from light silver through gold, bright red, and a lavender shade, cycling through colors about every two seconds. He and the others watched it for about an hour as it kept moving and rising higher. He viewed it through a small telescope and said it was perfectly round with a glow, with no wings visible. He said it eventually shot straight down, leaving a vapor or flame trail, rather than moving off at an angle. He estimated it had been very high, perhaps 30 to 40 miles up, when it descended.

The man said he had worked on guided missiles and rockets and had Navy watch experience, and was sure it was not an airplane or aircraft landing lights. His wife and the other couple also saw it. The weather was clear. The report includes his full interview transcript and Army correspondence forwarding the account. The record card lists the case conclusion as unknown.