Nevada 5 Mi S of Lincoln Co Line, September 1957September 1957

On the evening of September 16, 1957, a man traveling north on U.S. Highway 93 in Nevada, about five miles south of Lincoln County, saw an unusual object in the night sky. The object was round, roughly eighteen inches across, and glowed with a vivid deep orange and red color. An orange flame appeared along the top rim of the object. The man heard no sound.

The object remained stationary throughout the sighting. The observer watched it twice, each time for roughly one and a half to two minutes, with about three minutes between the two viewings. The object then dimmed and disappeared. The observer reported clear skies with no clouds and no moon at the time.

The Air Force investigated the report through its Office of Special Investigations. An agent interviewed the observer on December 4, 1957, and confirmed that he was a mortician and business owner from Reno, Nevada with a sound reputation. Local police officials vouched for his reliability. The investigation included a check of weather conditions in the area at the time of the sighting, which showed clear conditions consistent with the observer's account.

The Air Force noted in its evaluation that the bearings and directional information provided in the report contained inconsistencies, which prevented a clear conclusion about what the object was. The case file, held by the National Archives, contains 7 pages.