Morgantown, West VirginiaApril 1949

On March 15, 1949, a man in Morgantown, West Virginia saw something strange in the night sky. He was standing in his backyard around 9 p.m., doing what he did most evenings: checking the weather. He spotted a single round, flat object moving across the sky toward the northeast, traveling at what he described as a terrific speed. The object looked yellowish, like the color of the moon, and reminded him of a garbage can lid or barrel top. He estimated it was about 13 inches across and roughly 20 miles away, hanging at a 45-degree angle above the horizon.

The object was only visible for two or three seconds before it vanished into the distance. During that brief time, the witness heard a noise like a sky rocket at the peak of its climb. The object left behind a yellowish, tapering trail about 20 to 30 feet long, which looked to him like improperly burning gas flames. The object itself glowed with a yellowish light and maintained level, horizontal flight before disappearing. The sky was clear with stars and the moon visible.

Two weeks later, on March 28, the same witness reported seeing a second similar object, this time moving more slowly and closer to the earth than the first one. Both objects were heading southwest. In a letter dated April 11, 1949, the witness wrote to the U.S. Air Force explaining that he had not reported these sightings to anyone because he wanted to make sure such reports were needed. He said he had not heard of similar sightings in the area and thought the Air Force might find the information useful.

The Air Force's Technical Intelligence Division launched an investigation. Officers interviewed the witness on May 3, 1949, and checked weather records and police reports in the Morgantown area. The weather data from the airport confirmed clear skies on both nights of the sightings. The investigation file was closed on May 21, 1949, with no official conclusion stated as to what the objects were. The complete case file, comprising 12 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.