South Bend, IndianaCirca 1957

In March 1957, a South Bend, Indiana woman reported seeing unusual objects in the night sky on multiple occasions. In her account, she described the first sighting as occurring around 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., when she observed a stationary object below star level while sitting in her front room. The object appeared larger than a star and emitted a glowing light that pulsed in and out. When her husband turned on the interior lights, the object rapidly accelerated eastward and disappeared.

Over the following weeks, the witness reported additional sightings. On March 18, she saw an object with two distinct parts traveling together east of her house near Goshen, Indiana. The object moved in an erratic pattern, shifting left and right before shooting upward with "terrific speed." On March 21, she and her sixteen-year-old son watched multiple objects approaching from the south, moving smoothly and fast. She described them as oval-shaped with a grayish hue, surrounded by what looked like a glowing flame or light resembling silk. The objects moved "smoothly as a fish swimming in creek," she wrote. During this sighting, she called the county sheriff, who responded to the scene. Later that same day, she observed a large, brilliant ruby-red object skimming the tops of trees and heading south. The object appeared to have wings in a bird-like configuration and displayed flickering red lights before vanishing.

On March 30, the witness and her fifteen-year-old daughter watched two more objects. One changed shape and emitted small red lights while hovering above the treetops for about thirty minutes before moving lower and heading west. The other object remained stationary in the distance, possibly near the local airport or Bendix facility. The file indicates the witness included drawings with her detailed account.

The Air Force's evaluation of this case is listed as "Insufficient data for evaluation." The full case file, comprising 8 pages as microfilmed, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.