Montgomery Fld, San Diego, September 1958September 1958

On September 16, 1958, a civilian observer lying in his back yard near Montgomery Field in San Diego, California, saw two circular objects in the afternoon sky. The objects were about the size of basketballs, metallic and silvery in color, and positioned one above the other. They shifted side to side as the observer watched. The sighting lasted between 15 and 20 seconds before the objects faded from view.

The observer was located at his home near Montgomery Field, on the grounds of Convair, a major aircraft manufacturer. According to the Air Force report, he had two years of experience at a Naval training center and was considered qualified in aircraft recognition. He watched the objects from about 45 degrees elevation, looking roughly south-southeast across the sky.

The objects appeared to follow a southeasterly course. Investigation records show that the Air Force asked local military units whether any weather balloons or other balloons had been launched from Montgomery Field around the time of the sighting. A response confirmed that balloon launches had occurred from Montgomery Field, including one at times consistent with the sighting window. The Air Force also obtained detailed wind measurements at various altitudes to help explain how any balloon might have behaved.

The file contains some damage and OCR errors that affect readability of certain technical details. The case was assigned an evaluation of unknown by the Air Force, and the summary sheet notes that the observer probably saw what he reported, though the exact explanation remains unclear. The complete case file, comprising eight pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.