Paget, Bermuda, June 1949June 1949

Insufficient Data

Summary

On June 20, 1949, an architect in Paget, Bermuda sighted an unusual object in the afternoon sky. The object was spherical and brilliantly silver in color. It first appeared roughly 45 to 50 degrees above the horizon to the north, and moved steadily southward. As it traveled, it grew slightly larger. About five to ten minutes into the sighting, the object slowed down when it reached a position about 80 degrees above the horizon directly south of the observer. Then it shot straight upward and vanished in a matter of seconds.

Other witnesses in the area, including residents from New York and Philadelphia, reported seeing the same phenomenon and confirmed the main details. The observers estimated the object was at least 10,000 to 15,000 feet above the ocean, with a rough estimate placing it at 30,000 feet or higher, though the object's shape made precise measurements of altitude and speed impossible.

The U.S. Air Force investigated the sighting by comparing it to weather balloon activity in the area. On the same day at 1800 (6 p.m.), the 8/9 Weather Squadron Detachment released a weather balloon from Kindley Air Force Base. The weather officer computed the balloon's path and concluded that observation of the balloon from Paget would have been impossible based on wind data and trajectory. The officer's calculations placed the balloon's impact point between one and four miles away from Paget, on a bearing between west and northwest of the observers' location.

The Air Force evaluated this case as an unknown, meaning the sighting did not match the weather balloon or any other identified phenomenon. A newspaper article about the incident appeared in the July 3, 1949 issue of the Hamilton, Bermuda "Sunday Royal Gazette," though the account differed slightly from the Air Force's plotted balloon trajectory.

This case file, held by the National Archives, spans 10 pages.

Reported location

Paget, Bermuda, June 1949

Date of incident

June 1949

State / country

? / XX

Page count

10 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 5

/ 4 PROJECT 10073 RECORD "11. DATE - TIMZ GROUP . LOCATION | A ~ 1 20 June 1949 20/1805(1)) : Paget, Bermuda © 3. SOURCE 10. CONCLUSION | © | Civilian BALLOON | © |4. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | £ e 8/9 Weather Squadron Detachment releawed a weather balloon at] | g | Ore 1800 on date of sighting. | b i5. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION (11. BRIEF SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS PE | ¢ i 5 = 10 Minutes Object was spherical in shape and brilliantly silver in colo: i 6. TYPE OF OBSERVATION and approximately 5-50 deg off the horizon due north of poir.t i of observation when first sighted and traveled due south, E Ground-Visual The original size was about that of a medium size star and ac & 7. COURSE it proceeded south its size increase slightly. Object deperdac: ! in valocity and when at a position about 80 deg off the hori zon PF South in a line due south, it disappeared straight upward in a matter © la. PHOTOS of seconds, BE | According to the latter, observation of the balloon from Paget 4 O Yes woudl have been impossible. It is noted that the account given No therein concerning the path of the weather balloon differs from E 9. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE that plotted. O Yes : i 1:XNo | E FORM 4 FTD sep 63 0-329 (TDE) Previous editions of this form may be used. :