Mechanicsburg, OhioJuly 1956

Insufficient Data

Summary

On the morning of July 27, 1956, a resident of Mechanicsburg, Ohio, saw an unusual object in the sky around 0400 (4 a.m.). The witness described it as resembling a flat-shaped light bulb, roughly the size of a grapefruit. The object moved toward the northeast and then disappeared from view.

The Air Force investigator noted an important detail: a weather balloon had been launched at 0315 (3:15 a.m.) from a site located 30 to 35 miles away and slightly to the southwest of the observer's location. Winds in the upper atmosphere at that time were blowing from the west at 20 to 25 knots. Based on these wind speeds, a balloon would have drifted directly over or very near the observer's location in approximately one hour, which matched the timing of the sighting.

The file indicates that the Air Force evaluated this case as "Probably Balloon," based on the proximity of the weather balloon launch site, the weather balloon's probable drift path, and the timing of the sighting. The OCR on the witness's detailed questionnaire and narrative is too garbled to extract reliable specifics about the object's appearance beyond the initial description, though the witness did provide sketches and measurements that appear in the file.

The complete case file as held by the National Archives is reproduced below and comprises 11 pages.

Reported location

Mechanicsburg, Ohio

Date of incident

July 1956

State / country

OH / US

Page count

11 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 25

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 11

View transcribed text

WA LE Tol La Lt AT) SE NPI RT Te PT Fy 4
: PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD |
i
ee eeepc. oa. ieee tt foes ees ee ee ee ee Ee ee eee ee eee eee ee tee eee ae ee et reste lee ttt etter or.
1. DATE 2. LOCATION | 12. CONCLUSIONS
BX Was Balloon |
27 July 1956 Mechanicsburg, Ohio 4 9 Probably Balloon |
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. YYPE OF OBSERVATION ossibly Balloon |
: |]
Local Sa ORS X8& Ground- Visual 0 Ground-Radar a ll LE |
rr J £ [al . " |
GMT___ 277 09437 hos 0 Air Visual 0 Air-Intercept Radar DO Possibly Aircraft ;
5. PHOTOS 8. SOURCE O Was Astronomical
OYes O Probably Astronomical
MH No Civilian OD Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE EH Othee tba ie awd nL
0 Insufficient Data for Evaluation !
a : : Nig ells QO Unknown
QO minutes one | NE/40 dgrs ;
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING BLD COMMENTS |
Object resembling a flat shaped | Location approximately 30-35
: light bulb, approximately size of | miles from WX ballnon site and |
gran >fruit from where objectdserved. | slightly NE, Winds aloft at that i
Moved NE and disappeared, time generally from the west at |
! TAGS = Lo J 1. ~ FP re 3 I yr 1 3 -~e i
i ; 20-20 Xnots. 111s woulda bring
ballonn directly over or near |
| observers location in approx
| 1 hour. Balloon launched at
| 0315 - UFQ sighting at |
| 04005,
i
| |
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)
Pislansicias Lik har R Reha i np nt nD J Lee 2 He
r

/ 11

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28966417