Project Blue Book Case File
Kentucky, W Va., GeorgiaApril 1958
Summary
In April 1958, four Air Force pilots flying F-86 Sabre jets from Turner Air Force Base in Georgia spotted an unusual object during a nighttime training flight. The sighting occurred near Cordele, Georgia, around 11:39 p.m. on the night of April 21st.
The pilots first noticed what appeared to be another aircraft approaching from the northeast at high speed. As it drew closer, the object began to glow with an intense green light that grew brighter as it approached their formation. The object was small at first, like a pinpoint of light, but then suddenly expanded in size. It had what looked like an exhaust trail that appeared pink initially but then darkened compared to the surrounding clouds. The trail was narrower than the main glowing sphere itself.
The object approached the jets with tremendous speed, moving like a meteor. At one point it passed between their aircraft and the town of Cordele, stopping at an estimated altitude of 7,000 feet just south of town. The sighting lasted approximately four seconds before the glow stopped and the object disappeared. All four pilots gave similar accounts of what they had witnessed, and the incident was not reported until the following morning.
The investigation found no physical evidence related to the sighting. Weather conditions at the time showed clear skies with scattered clouds at 8,000 feet, and wind patterns were documented at various altitudes. The file notes that no preliminary analysis was completed, and the Air Force evaluation for this case was recorded as unknown.
The complete case file, consisting of 9 pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.
Reported location
Kentucky, W Va., Georgia
Date of incident
April 1958
State / country
GA / US
Page count
9 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unknown
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 32