Milan, IndianaSeptember 1958

On the morning of September 29, 1958, witnesses across a wide area from Washington, D.C., to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, reported seeing a bright, fiery object moving rapidly across the sky. The object appeared to various observers as round or glowing, and some reported hearing unusual sounds. The sightings occurred within a short time window between approximately 5:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Multiple reports came from observers in different locations. One witness described the object as about the size of a grapefruit and pale blue in color. Another observer in the Pittsburgh area reported an object that resembled a 75mm artillery shell, enclosed in blue-green flame with a trailing fire about 50 to 60 feet long. Witnesses noted the object traveling at high speed on a southeast-to-northwest heading, and some described seeing it break into pieces or disintegrate.

The Air Force's investigation included interviews with civilian witnesses and military personnel, as well as coordination with Georgetown University Observatory, which had also received reports of the sighting. Field investigations were conducted by helicopter in the Pittsburgh area, but no physical evidence was recovered. The Weather Bureau reported clear skies and unlimited visibility at the time of the sightings.

The Air Force Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that all witnesses had observed the same object, a meteor that had penetrated unusually deep into the lower atmosphere before breaking up. ATIC attributed differences in witness descriptions to the brief observation time, the witnesses' excitement, and changes in the object's appearance due to breakup and burnout. The file indicates this determination was marked as unknown by the Air Force's official evaluation system, though the analysis documents point clearly to a meteor.

The full case file, comprising 74 scanned pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.