Minneapolis, Minn, August 1954August 1954

On August 31, 1954, pilots from the Fourth Fighter Interceptor Group in Korea observed an unusually large, round, shiny object while on a routine training mission. The object was white in color and appeared to be approximately 30 feet in diameter. Pilots reported that it first remained stationary for about 22 minutes as they circled it at 42,000 feet, while the object itself hovered at roughly 70,000 feet. After the pilots' fuel grew low, the object suddenly split into three separate parts. Two sections climbed steeply to the northwest at a 45 degree angle, while the third lingered briefly before following the others. During the observation, the object at times seemed to show crescent or swept-back wings when it passed in front of the sun, though it appeared round when backlit. Other pilots in the area, including members of Bass Flight, saw only a bright illumination before the object disappeared on a northeasterly heading. The weather station at K-14 confirmed there were no weather balloons in the area at that time. The Air Force file notes that the most likely explanation was a balloon, based on the single pilot who reported seeing the object split (only one member of the flight witnessed this key detail). The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, spanning 19 pages of microfilm T1206, Roll 21.