Lemoore, CaliforniaApril 1959

On April 12, 1959, a civilian witness in Lemoore, California, observed three disc-shaped aircraft flying in a southerly direction. The witness, who had military experience, saw the objects for about five to ten seconds from ground level. According to his written report, the discs were metallic in appearance and performed sharp 45-degree turns and erratic maneuvers before disappearing behind clouds at a distance.

The witness brought binoculars to get a closer look. He later wrote to the Secretary of the Air Force expressing amazement at what he described as the advanced performance and size of the aircraft. He estimated the objects at roughly 200 feet in diameter and said they were traveling well over 1,000 miles per hour at an altitude of 20,000 feet or higher. The weather that afternoon was clear, with scattered thin cirrus clouds, good visibility, and westerly winds at about 15 knots.

The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) reviewed the case and sent follow-up questions to clarify some details. They asked whether all three objects appeared at the same time, noted an inconsistency between the witness's speed estimate and his described angular movement, and requested names of other witnesses. The file does not include a final ATIC evaluation or the witness's response to these follow-up questions. The case was held by ATIC for further analysis, but the final assessment was marked "unknown" on the initial report card.

The full case file, consisting of 15 scanned pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.