Jamestown, North DakotaAugust 1953

On August 20, 1953, a civil aviation employee in Jamestown, North Dakota, observed an unidentified object in the evening sky. The witness described the object as looking like a large star or a ball of fire in the sky, and said it moved behind a tree at one point during the sighting. The observation lasted approximately 15 minutes. The observer indicated the object moved toward the east.

On September 15, 1953, the Air Force sent the witness a detailed questionnaire asking for specifics about the sighting. The witness estimated the object appeared about as large as a silver dollar held at arm's length and responded that they were "fairly certain" of this estimate. The witness reported clear sky conditions and indicated they saw the object at night with a few stars visible. When asked about the object's behavior, the witness confirmed it appeared to stand still at times, moved behind something at one point, and did not change brightness or shape. The witness also provided estimates of the object's speed, listing 8,000 miles per hour, and estimated it was about 13,310 feet away.

The case file contains some additional materials, including what appears to be a report of abnormal refraction (an optical effect where light bends through atmospheric layers of different temperatures) observed from a ship near Portugal on August 29, 1953, though it is unclear how this relates to the Jamestown sighting. The file notes that the Air Force's evaluation of this case was "unknown," meaning no definitive conclusion was recorded. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, consisting of 16 pages.