Lyle, WashingtonMarch 1953

On March 30, 1953, a civilian observer in Lyle, Washington saw a bright object moving through the sky at 1505 PST (3:05 p.m.). The observer watched the object move southward from the northeast of Lyle toward Rowena, Oregon, using binoculars to follow it. The object then vanished without passing behind any clouds.

The observer reported that the object's shape and size were unknown. No propulsion system, exhaust trail, or sound was observed. The object did not perform any sudden maneuvers, but moved steadily from north to south. The sighting occurred in an area with scattered clouds at about 4,900 feet, but visibility was otherwise unrestricted.

Air Force investigators noted that a Radiosonde Dick weather balloon had been released from Chehalis, Washington earlier that day and was being plotted in the area at 1900 PST (7:00 p.m.). Based on the wind conditions at various altitudes, a balloon launched from Chehalis would have drifted near the Lyle area as the report described. The investigators observed that a balloon at high altitude can appear to burst or suddenly disappear when viewed through binoculars, which could explain the object's apparent vanishing. They also noted that estimating a balloon's course from the ground is notoriously unreliable at high altitudes.

No photographs or physical evidence was recovered. A jet interceptor was on patrol in the nearby Dalles area at the time, though it is unclear whether an interception was attempted. The Air Force's official conclusion was unidentified, though the file suggests the sighting was likely a weather balloon. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 7 pages.