Klamath, CaliforniaNovember 1962

On the night of November 22-23, 1962, two observers in northern California reported seeing an unusual object in the sky. A U.S. Forest Service fire spotter located about five miles southeast of Klamath, California, watched the object for approximately 25 minutes. At the same time, Captain Joseph A. Wilmer of the 965th Airborne Early Warning Squadron was flying aboard an RC-121 aircraft (call sign Ethan 55) at an altitude of about 6,500 feet when he also spotted the object.

The fire spotter on the ground described the object as diamond-shaped and creamy white, surrounded by a blue haze. It appeared much brighter than background stars. The observer noticed a stream of light or vapor extending from the rear of the object, spanning about half to three-quarters of its length, with a glittering appearance like a candle. The object also displayed what looked like a rotating beacon light around its bottom. Initially, the observer thought he was looking at a star until he noticed the object's movement and color. Over the 25-minute period, the object's flight path was erratic, including moments when it appeared to hover. It moved from an initial position at 200 degrees azimuth (roughly south-southwest) and 30 to 45 degrees elevation, eventually disappearing in roughly the same general area, appearing to haze out as it faded.

The airborne observation was much briefer. Captain Wilmer reported sighting the object only when it was directly overhead (12 o'clock high in pilot terminology). The object was estimated to be more than 24,000 feet above ground and appeared to be traveling at approximately Mach 2 (roughly 1,300 miles per hour). The view lasted only one to two seconds because of the RC-121's cockpit configuration, which limited the pilot's field of vision.

The case file notes balloon sighting characteristics were present, though the erratic flight pattern and hovering behavior conflicted with typical balloon behavior. The file indicates that the balloon, if that is what it was, might have had a leak causing the smoke or vapor impression around the object. The file offers no final determination of what the object was, leaving its identity unresolved. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, spanning seven pages of scanned records.