Project Blue Book Case File
San Francisco, CaliforniaAugust 1949
Summary
On Monday, August 1, 1949, several witnesses aboard a commercial fishing boat near San Francisco saw unusual objects in the sky. The sightings occurred in two separate waves as the boat approached the Golden Gate. The witnesses described the objects as oval or round in shape, silver in color, and traveling at high speed. They estimated the objects ranged from 10,000 to 25,000 feet in altitude and appeared to move faster than jet aircraft.
The Air Force's investigation began when information reached the District Commander at Fairfield-Suisun Air Force Base, and Special Agents interviewed the witnesses in September and October 1949. The main witnesses were a passenger who observed two objects in formation traveling northward, a boat captain who saw four or more square-shaped objects heading south-southeast, and a reverend who reported six or more objects heading northeast. All witnesses agreed the objects made no sound, showed no evidence of propulsion, and moved without visible means of support. Sighting times ranged from less than one minute to about 40 seconds.
The investigation included checks of civilian and military aviation records, interviews with character witnesses, and documentation of weather conditions on the day of the sighting. The Air Force confirmed that radar testing devices, aluminum diamond-shaped "kites" carried aloft by gas-filled balloons, were sent up twice daily from Treasure Island and Fort Baker at approximately 1000 and 1500 hours (3 p.m.). Two such devices were released on August 1, 1949, at roughly 1000 hours and 1400 hours (2 p.m.). Wind and weather data from that day showed scattered clouds, good visibility, and moderate westerly winds.
The investigators noted significant discrepancies between witness accounts: the shapes, altitudes, and directions of travel differed substantially. Some witnesses appeared more reliable than others based on character checks and the investigators' own observations. Sketches were obtained from the witnesses showing their interpretations of the objects. The Air Force concluded the case as unidentified. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives and comprises 29 pages.
Reported location
San Francisco, California
Date of incident
August 1949
State / country
CA / US
Page count
29 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unidentified
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 6