Phoenix, Ariz., October 1947 - Incident Number: 37October 1947

On a day in October 1947, two mine workers near Cave Creek, Arizona spotted something unusual in the sky. Working at an elevation of about 8,000 to 10,000 feet, they watched an object travel in a straight line from northwest to southeast. The sighting lasted between 45 and 60 seconds. The object appeared to shift color depending on what was behind it: reddish when set against the blue sky, and black when passing in front of clouds. To the observers, it looked roughly three feet wide.

The two witnesses disagreed on what they had seen. One thought it might be a large bird at first, but later rejected that idea. The other said it resembled a flying wing, though he insisted it was not actually a flying wing. Both men cited their flying experience as proof they knew what they were talking about.

An Air Force investigator noted a problem with the story. If the object really was as far away as 10,000 feet, it would have had to be enormous to appear three feet wide to someone on the ground. That single inconsistency raised doubts about the whole account. The investigator concluded that without better information, no firm conclusion could be reached about what the two men had seen.

The full case file, as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below across 7 pages.