Lancaster, Penns., [ILLEGIBLE]Date unknown

On August 19, 1952, a civilian observer near Lancaster, Pennsylvania reported seeing an unidentified flying object from his observation post about two miles north of the town. The sighting lasted roughly one hour, from around 3:57 a.m. to 5:52 a.m.

The observer described the object as a yellow light with a shape similar to a toy top or a naval buoy. He said it appeared to sway back and forth and move up and down. According to his account, the object seemed to move toward him and then retreat. He estimated its altitude at 500 feet. The witness noted that the object's motion was generally slow, though at times it moved rather fast. He also heard the sound of an aircraft during the sighting, though he could not definitively connect the sound to the object. A second orange-colored object was observed moving down over the horizon during the same period.

A second Ground Observer Corps member, also located in Lancaster, witnessed the incident. Both observers were part of a civilian network that reported aircraft sightings during the Cold War.

The weather conditions at the time were clear with four miles visibility and calm winds.

The Air Force office that prepared the report could not offer a definite explanation for the sighting. It suggested the object might have been an exceptionally bright star or possibly a weather balloon.

The full case file, consisting of seven pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.