Project Blue Book Case File
Los Angeles, CaliforniaSeptember 1960
Summary
# Los Angeles UFO Sighting, September 1960
On September 12, 1960, a resident of Los Angeles and a companion witnessed an unusual object moving rapidly through the night sky. The object came into view from the southwest, traveling at what they described as a terrific speed. It veered at a forty-five-degree angle toward the west-northwest before disappearing as if a light had been switched off. The sighting lasted only moments, but it left enough of an impression that the witnesses reported what they had seen to the U.S. Air Force.
The Air Force sent the witnesses a detailed questionnaire to complete. Based on their responses and the information provided, investigators noted that the object's swift movement and sudden disappearance suggested the possibility of a meteor sighting. The apparent speed, the direction of travel, and the way the light vanished all pointed toward a natural atmospheric phenomenon rather than an aircraft or man-made object.
The Air Force's formal evaluation of the case concluded that the sighting was unidentified, though the investigators' comments in the file suggested a probable meteor explanation. The exact nature of what the witnesses saw remained uncertain enough that it could not be definitively classified as anything other than unknown.
The full case file, comprising 26 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.
Reported location
Los Angeles, California
Date of incident
September 1960
State / country
CA / US
Page count
26 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unidentified
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 40