MERCED, CALIFORNIAOctober 1954

On the afternoon of October 28, 1954, a military aircraft mechanic at Merced Country Club was playing golf when he heard a loud jet noise and spotted an unusual object in the sky. The witness, facing roughly east-southeast, saw a round, white object about the size of a baseball approaching from his left at approximately 40 degrees elevation. The object was traveling from north to south in a straight line and disappeared into scattered clouds on the southern horizon. The entire sighting lasted about 25 seconds.

The observer was struck by two things: the object's unusual speed and the loud sound it made, which he compared to air escaping under high pressure through a small opening. He recalled the noise as distinctly jet-like. According to the report, no other observers at the golf course reported seeing the object, though other people were present. The witness also noted that he did not recall any normal air traffic in the area at the time.

The Air Force investigation, conducted in November 1954, more than a week after the sighting, noted that Castle Air Force Base had launched several B-47 and KC-97 aircraft shortly before the observation, though their exact location after takeoff was unknown. The investigating officer commented that the witness seemed sincere and reliable, was not a UFO enthusiast, and had made no previous reports of unusual sightings. Another officer at the base reportedly made a similar observation, but was unavailable for interview. The Air Force's formal conclusion on this case was "probably aircraft," though the file does not elaborate on which aircraft type might have been responsible.

The complete case file, comprising 7 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.