Pittsburgh, Pa., September 1959September 1959

Insufficient Data

Summary

On September 15, 1959, Pittsburgh police investigated a loud explosion heard near Squirrel Hill in Frick Park. During their search, they found a yellow plastic cone-shaped object about nine inches across at the base and eleven inches tall. A red flashing light sat on top, with three wires that looked like antenna sticking out below it. The object weighed about twelve pounds and was scorched around the base.

Police turned the object over to the Army for examination. Later, when Air Force personnel examined it, they discovered the interior was packed with ordinary electronics: a lantern battery, flashlight batteries, a small electric motor from a hobby shop, mercury switches, and a transformer. The motor and switches powered the flashing red light, but the motor itself was not connected to anything mechanical. The antenna and transformer were not even wired into the circuit.

Air Force investigators ruled out the possibility that this was a weather balloon or any kind of scientific instrument. The object showed no sign of ever being airborne. An object that heavy would have left a noticeable impact crater if it had fallen from altitude, but none was found. The plastic cover and light bulb were both intact, another sign the object had never fallen. Instead, investigators concluded the object and the explosion were likely the work of college students playing a prank at the beginning of the school year. The flashing light and the whirring motor were probably designed simply to mystify whoever found it.

The complete case file, reproduced below, contains 10 pages as held by the National Archives.

Reported location

Pittsburgh, Pa., September 1959

Date of incident

September 1959

State / country

? / XX

Page count

10 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 36

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 10

View transcribed text

i { |
23 {

EB Gavel i i
: 2 pa : PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD i :
Fr i esas oo deniinllali oo 4
gE 1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS

Lo O Was Balloon
E 15 Sep 59 Pittsburgh, Pa & ALL Basen :
i 3. DATE-TIME GRCUP 4 TYPE OF OBSERVATION hdl hated i
E 1400 : 1 0 Was Aircraft !
| Local mE O-Ground-Visual O Ground-Radar 0 Probably Aircraft }
GMT 0 Air Visual 0 Air-Intercept Radar O Possibly Aircraft |
& 5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE O Was Astronomical
id O Yes 0 Probably Astronomical
i “BE No : Civilian 0 Possibly Astronomical |
: 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE 0% Other HO2X
EE 0 Insufficient Data for Evaluation |
i 0 Unknown |
N/A one N/A

E 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS

E A loud explosion was heard fm the Sq. All evidence indicated upon invexti-
4 : Hill area of Pittsburgh. Upon investigntign,/ /gation that the obj was not airborne

E an obj was found which measured 9° in or flying at any time. It is the opiniof

3 diameter at the base & was 11" high. A of ATIC that this obj & the explosion
a flashing red light encased in plastic was|were all part of a hoax. Happening as

e mounted on top. The body was made of it did at the beginning #® of the school

i ; 4 fre 3 Th his 4 ; EAS X : 3

Ig plastic, yellow in color w/three wires vear, this was probably the prank oi of
4 like antenna protruding below the red college studente.

; E light. The weight was about 12 potinds. ;

E

fo 5 a ; iH ot

[i gor ET EG a Be GJ er ;

3 (obTect JN FAVSICAL STCMenN FILE ) |

A ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP $2)

:

. : |

E 4 .
3

Eo : To

f/

/ 10

Use ← → keys to navigate · scans hosted by the U.S. National Archives

Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28984580