Redondo, WashingtonJuly 1952

On the evening of July 6, 1952, near Redondo, Washington, a woman employed at nearby McChord Air Force Base spotted an unusual light in the sky. The object appeared as a single, round yellowish-white light, roughly the size of a searchlight. It made no sound and moved at a very slow speed, traveling on a heading of 172 degrees true (roughly south-southeast). The witness observed it for approximately five minutes starting at 2238 Pacific Standard Time (10:38 p.m.). The light disappeared when she looked away briefly.

The observer was positioned about one mile southwest of Redondo when she first saw the object. The object moved toward her at a low altitude, roughly ten degrees above the horizon. Her reference point for tracking its course was a marine light on the nearby coast. A second witness, a man from San Francisco, was also present during the sighting. The first observer was considered fairly reliable by Air Force investigators, though the second witness's reliability was listed as unknown.

The Air Force obtained weather data from the nearest station at the time of the sighting. Conditions were clear with calm surface winds, though winds at higher altitudes were measured at 38 knots at 5,000 feet and 58 knots at 10,000 feet. Investigators noted that this sighting was one of several low-altitude incidents reported over water areas of Puget Sound during that period. A check of earlier flight reports showed similar sightings in the region on July 1, 13, 19, and 17 of that year.

The Air Force requested that investigators check with the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Boeing Aircraft Company to determine whether any military or commercial aircraft or experimental objects had been tested on the dates in question. No photographs or physical evidence was obtained. The U.S. Air Force's official evaluation of this case was unidentified. The complete case file, comprising 12 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.