San Simeon, CaliforniaSeptember 1948

# San Simeon, California, September 1948

In late September 1948, a security guard at San Simeon, California reported witnessing an unusual aerial object near the estate known as "La Cuesta Encantada" (the Enchanted Hill), home of publisher William Randolph Hearst. The guard, who had worked at the property for 21 years and had served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, said he saw a glowing light traveling between two mountains around 9 p.m. while making his rounds.

According to his written account, the object appeared roughly 20 inches in diameter and moved at very high speed. He watched two separate lights, or the same light making multiple passes, at roughly two-minute intervals until approximately 11 p.m. The witness noted that from his vantage point, the objects appeared to be flat. He found the sighting remarkable enough to clip a newspaper article about the incident and write to the Air Force, along with a brief sketch showing the path of the lights.

The guard provided his background to establish credibility, noting his decades of employment with Hearst and his military service guarding ships and docks in San Francisco. The letter reached Air Force intelligence in Washington, D.C. in May 1949, well after the sighting occurred. In response, the Air Force's Intelligence Analysis Division acknowledged the report and noted it was being incorporated into their study of unidentified aerial phenomena. The case was classified as unidentified.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives (10 pages).