San Bernandino, CaliforniaJuly 1956

On July 19, 1956, a 15-year-old student in San Bernardino, California reported seeing a disk-shaped flying object while lying in his backyard taking photographs with a new camera. The boy said the silvery-gray object passed through his field of view, moving rapidly northward and disappearing in the distance within 15 to 30 seconds. He managed to take one photograph before losing his chance at a second shot. The object appeared to him to be about 30 feet across, roughly the size of a nickel held at arm's length when viewed from his estimated distance of 600 yards (1,800 feet).

The U.S. Air Force's Air Technical Intelligence Center received the photograph for analysis. Their examination revealed several problems with the image that cast serious doubt on the sighting. The object appeared fuzzy and out of focus in the photograph, yet all the surrounding details, like grass and tree leaves, were sharp and clear. The Air Force noted that if the object truly was 1,800 feet away and 200 feet in diameter as the photographer's estimates suggested, it would have been enormous and certainly visible to many people across the city. Yet no other reports came in. The object also appeared as dark or darker than nearby objects in the scene, which contradicted basic optics: distant objects typically appear lighter in color, not darker.

When the Air Technical Intelligence Center magnified the photograph, they spotted what appeared to be a thumb-like protrusion inside the left edge of the print. The direction of light and shadow on the object also did not match the lighting on surrounding objects. The Air Force concluded that the photograph "strongly suggests a hoax." They noted that the out-of-focus appearance was likely caused not by motion or distance, but by the object being very close to the camera lens. The Center offered detailed guidance to future investigators on proper techniques for documenting photographic UFO claims, including recording camera settings, exact time of exposure, direction the camera was facing, and the observer's background and media exposure.

The case file also includes administrative correspondence documenting concerns that the photograph's original negative was being retained longer than promised to the source. After some back-and-forth between the Air Force units and external inquiries, the negative and prints were returned to the observer in December 1956. One note in the file mentions that the source's name appeared in connection with a controversial UFO documentary film, suggesting the publicity implications for the Air Force of the delay.

The full case file, as reproduced below, comprises 29 pages and is held by the National Archives.