San Bernardino, CaliforniaMarch 1963

On the night of March 18, 1963, a man living three miles northwest of Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, California, reported seeing an unidentified object fly over his home. According to his account, the object passed at an altitude of 1,200 feet and traveled at roughly 1,400 knots (about 1,600 miles per hour). It moved from east to west in a straight line directly overhead, made no noise, and was lit by nine white lights arranged with no particular pattern. The witness estimated the object was about 100 feet in diameter.

The Air Force investigated the sighting the following day. During that interview, however, the investigating officer noted serious inconsistencies in the witness's account. At different points during questioning, the man described the object's shape as either flat or cigar-shaped. He also changed his estimate of the number of lights from nine to two or three. He mentioned it might have been a missile or even boys "shooting cigars or something." The officer also observed that the witness appeared to be in an unstable condition, smelled strongly of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes, and displayed other signs of heavy drinking.

The investigating officer concluded in his report that the witness's credibility was severely compromised and that his alleged observation should be "discounted in its entirety." The officer further noted that the witness had attempted to contact General Curtis LeMay to report the sighting, which the officer viewed as another indication of instability. The Air Force ultimately classified this case as unidentified, though the quality and reliability of the evidence left substantial doubt about whether anything unusual had actually been observed.

The complete case file, comprising 7 pages as preserved by the National Archives, is reproduced below.