Mitchell, NebraskaJuly 1949

On July 26, 1949, a physician driving south on the edge of Mitchell, Nebraska saw a bright light flash in his eyes. He stopped to look and spotted a metallic-silver object shaped like an upside-down saucer about four miles away. The object appeared to be roughly 25 feet across and three or four feet thick, traveling toward the southwest at an estimated speed of 400 to 500 miles per hour.

The physician watched the object for three minutes as it flew at an altitude between 5,000 and 7,000 feet. The object maintained a level flight path but dipped slightly from side to side, and appeared to be whirling. The bright light he had initially seen was simply sunlight reflecting off the shiny upper surface of the craft. The object eventually disappeared behind a line of hills to the south.

An Air Force special investigator interviewed the witness on October 11 and 12, 1949 and found him to be a credible observer. The witness's occupation, medical training, and ability to make careful observations led investigators to rate his reliability as excellent. Weather conditions at the time were clear with light scattered clouds at higher altitudes, and visibility extended for 40 miles. The Air Force checked with nearby Rapid City Air Force Base and found no record of any weather balloons or test devices having been released in the area that day.

The case file does not present a final conclusion about what the object was. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 11 pages.