Osborn, OhioJune 1949

On the evening of June 29, 1949, a civilian observer near Osborn, Ohio reported seeing an unidentified object in the sky. The sighting occurred around 8:30 to 9 p.m., just after dusk, when the witness spotted the object about 1 1/4 miles to the south. The object remained visible for only 3 to 4 seconds before it disappeared into the clouds above.

The observer described the object as larger than a conventional aircraft and said it appeared to be made of aluminum. The object flew at a level altitude estimated between 2,000 and 4,000 feet and traveled a distance of about 1,200 feet in the 5 to 7 seconds the observer watched it. The witness noted that the object's wings may have moved up and down slightly, though the object maintained steady, level flight. No sound was heard. The object traveled from southwest to northeast before vanishing into cloud cover.

The Air Force's intelligence division investigated the report by checking records of military aircraft in the area. They found that an F-80 jet aircraft was returning from Chicago at approximately the time of the sighting but had landed at 1:46 p.m., well before the reported observation. No other known military aircraft were in the vicinity at 8:30 p.m. The file notes that the observer's estimate of distance from the object may have been inaccurate. The Air Force reached no definitive conclusion about the object's identity.

The complete case file, consisting of 9 pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.