Niagara Falls, N.Y., May 1951May 1951

On the morning of June 1, 1951, a U.S. Air Force weather officer at Niagara Falls Municipal Airport in New York witnessed an unusual object in the sky. Master Sergeant M/Sgt., who was leaving the weather station building at 0420 (4:20 a.m.), spotted the object and quickly signaled two airmen on duty inside to come outside and see it as well. The bearing to the object was 080 degrees (roughly east) from the base. At the time, the weather conditions included 10,000 feet of broken clouds, 4 miles of visibility due to smoke, and winds from the west-southwest at 3 knots.

The Master Sergeant described the object as saucer-shaped. The center appeared larger and brighter than arc-shaped wings protruding from it. Both the center and outer edge glowed yellow-orange. He heard no sound and saw no propulsion system or trail. The object moved upward and eastward, first appearing about 20 degrees above the horizon. It displayed what he called an oscillating motion and disappeared into the overcast clouds after about 30 to 40 seconds.

The two airmen who also witnessed the sighting, Sergeant Greene and Airman Ger, confirmed much of this account. They saw the object move east and upward, though they noted the easterly movement was greater than the vertical movement. They observed what they described as a counterclockwise gyro-like rotation. Neither airman could estimate the object's distance or altitude. They watched it for approximately 25 to 30 seconds before it vanished.

An Air Traffic Control report noted that a DC-4 cargo aircraft departed Buffalo Airport at 0116 (1:16 a.m.) that morning, heading to Chicago. The case file does not state a final Air Force conclusion regarding this sighting. The full case file, comprising 7 pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.