Patukent River NAS, Md., June 1959June 1959

On June 2, 1959, a witness at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland saw a strange object in the sky. It was roughly 2:28 p.m. (in Eastern Daylight Time) when the observer, along with a nine-year-old girl, spotted something hovering about one mile north of the base. The object had an unusual shape, roughly flat and oval, like an oblate disc (flattened on top and bottom). It was described as uniformly brilliant gold in color with a metallic sheen and sharp edges. The object hung silently in straight and level flight at an estimated 4,000 feet altitude.

The sighting lasted between 25 and 35 seconds before the object vanished suddenly. The observer was emphatic that the object was definitely not a balloon, an airplane's afterburner glow, the evening star, a falling star, or the reflection of the setting sun. Weather conditions were hazy but clear enough for observation. One aircraft was in the local traffic pattern at the time, but the observer ruled it out as the source of the sighting. The file notes that wind aloft data were recorded at 4,200 feet.

The investigating officers documented the sighting with technical precision, including the observer's location at building 924 near the base. However, the Air Force's evaluation appears to have been "unknown," indicating no definitive explanation was reached. The OCR text in places is difficult to read, which limits a complete understanding of the investigative findings and conclusions. Full details of the case file, spanning 17 pages as preserved in the National Archives, are reproduced below.