Olean, New YorkMarch 1953

On March 1, 1953, at 1104 (11:04 a.m.) Zulu time, a qualified ground observer in Olean, New York reported seeing a round, red object flying very high and heading south at great speed. The sighting lasted 29 minutes. The observer was stationed at GOC Post MN308 (a Ground Observer Corps station, part of a civilian network that watched for aircraft). No information about the object's distance, direction relative to the observer, or unusual features was recorded. Weather conditions were cold and clear.

This sighting was one of eight unidentified flying objects reported to the 763rd Air Control and Warning Squadron at Lockport, New York between February 11 and March 1, 1953. All but one of the sightings came from qualified ground observers working with the Ground Observer Corps. The reports were compiled by 1st Lieutenant Robert V. Kurtz, an intelligence officer. Notably, one sighting prompted military response: on an earlier date (February 26), a "Moonshine" radar unit (an airborne radar platform) was scrambled and directed to the area where a dim yellow object emitting white light flashes had been observed, but no contact was made with any unusual flying object.

The U.S. Air Force evaluated the March 1 sighting as unidentified, meaning the file contains no proposed explanation for what the observer saw.

The full case file, comprising 10 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.