Korrville-Valverde, TexasOctober 1958

On the evening of October 21, 1958, people in the Korrville-Valverde area of Texas reported seeing unusual objects in the sky. The Air Force received two separate sightings from that night, both observed at dusk by members of the Ground Observer Corps, a civilian network that watched for unusual aircraft.

The first observer, stationed in Kerrville, reported seeing a round object about the size of a pencil head with a glowing white light, brighter than a star. The object moved in a straight line from east to northeast before disappearing into clouds. The sighting lasted roughly three seconds. The second observer, in the Valverde area, saw a teardrop or pear-shaped object the size of a pea with a yellow color and a yellowish-orange wisp of smoke trailing behind it. This object appeared four times brighter than the evening star and moved in a steep glide before disappearing behind trees. That sighting lasted about 25 seconds. Both observers reported the objects' movements in a roughly south direction.

Military officials investigated the reports and contacted nearby air bases and weather services. A patrol aircraft had departed from Patterson Field around the time of the sightings, but likely was not at the location of the observations. One unconfirmed report mentioned an aircraft crash near Baker's Crossing, southwest of San Angelo, but no further confirmation came through. Weather conditions at the time included partly cloudy skies and good visibility.

The Air Force concluded that the objects were probably a condensation trail left by a jet aircraft flying at 40,000 feet, based on the description, duration, and apparent speed of the sightings. The full case file, comprising 24 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.