Montgomery, AlabamaJune 1947

On the night of June 28, 1947, four military officers at Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama witnessed an unusual light in the sky. The observation took place around 2120 (9:20 p.m.) Central Time and lasted approximately five minutes.

The object appeared from the west as a light slightly brighter than a star, traveling eastward at high speed across a clear, moonlit sky. According to the witnesses, it moved in a zig-zag pattern with sudden bursts of speed, similar to a water bug skittering across the surface of water. No sound was heard. The object appeared to be at great altitude, though observers could not determine the exact height. When the object reached directly overhead, it abruptly changed direction 90 degrees to the south. After about five minutes, it turned southwest and disappeared into the glow of the moon around 2145 (9:45 p.m.).

The witnesses, two of whom were rated pilots and two intelligence officers, contacted Maxwell Field operations to ask whether any experimental aircraft were scheduled to fly in the area that night. The reply was negative. The investigators noted that the object's behavior seemed contrary to normal aerodynamic principles.

The Air Weather Service later suggested that a small lighted weather balloon caught in changing upper-level winds could account for the sighting. The Air Materiel Command concluded that no astronomical object could have moved as described, though a weather balloon remained a possible explanation. The full case file, comprised of 10 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.