KENNEWICK, WASHINGTONJune 1955

# Case Summary: Kennewick, Washington, June 1955

In June 1955, Sergeant Gordon Richardson of the Kennewick, Washington Police Department reported seeing a large, shiny metal sphere near his town about a year before he came forward with the account. According to Richardson's account to the FBI, he was on night shift near 1st and Washington streets in Kennewick at around 10 p.m. when he spotted the object descending from the west at low altitude, roughly 200 to 300 feet above the ground.

Richardson described the object as approximately 30 feet in diameter and perfectly spherical. He said it was traveling at high speed until it came to a complete stop about three blocks east of Washington Street. While stationary, Richardson heard a rhythmic "chug chug" sound resembling a tractor engine. The object then took off at tremendous speed, disappearing from sight in seconds. Richardson noted no fire or smoke before the object stopped, but observed a trail of fire during its initial approach.

The Air Force investigation focused heavily on Richardson's reliability as a witness. Investigators noted that Richardson had been interested in flying saucers for years and had read extensively on the subject. Technical Intelligence Center staff in Dayton, Ohio reviewed the report and suggested the object was likely a balloon launched from the Yakima, Washington weather station, approximately 75 miles northwest of Kennewick. The analysis noted that radiosonde balloons launched at night are seven to twenty feet in diameter and carry a running light that reflects metallically off the balloon surface. Weather records indicated east-southeast winds on the night of the sighting, consistent with balloon drift patterns.

However, the investigators were troubled by several aspects of the case. They found it unusual that an object as large as described and flying at low altitude over a town would not be observed or reported by others. The fact that Richardson waited a full year before reporting the sighting also complicated any investigation. Ultimately, the Air Force concluded the object was probably a balloon, though the file reflects skepticism about Richardson's credibility as a witness and doubts about the reliability of the report overall. The case remained open, with recommendations that Richardson be contacted for additional information.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, spanning 12 pages.