St. John's, Newfoundland, [ILLEGIBLE] 1950Circa 1950

On the evening of July 30, 1950, multiple witnesses near St. John's, Newfoundland reported seeing an unusual object streak across the sky around 8:15 p.m. The sightings took place in the area north of Pepperrell Air Force Base. Witnesses described a bright, flame-trailing object that moved quickly across the sky and appeared to disappear in the vicinity of the White Hills transmitter site on the base.

The descriptions from different observers varied considerably. A painter watching from a hill in St. John's described a blunt-headed object about two or three feet in diameter and at least ten feet long, trailing a brilliant stream of flame and visible for only three to four seconds. A military officer driving on Topsail Road saw an object at an estimated distance of 5 to 6 miles and altitude of 5,000 to 6,000 feet, with a greenish glow that burned out as it descended. An enlisted man at the White Hills transmitter site heard a distinct thud around 8:20 p.m., as if something had hit the ground, though he saw nothing. Another witness described the object as circular in shape, about four feet in diameter, with a bright red flame behind it, traveling in level flight at roughly 2,500 feet. Yet another observer saw a yellowish-cream-colored section at the front with fire-colored sections behind, a 30-foot flame extending backward, traveling at approximately 250 miles per hour on a downward arc toward the ground.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigation conducted interviews with multiple witnesses between July 31 and August 16, 1950. Notably, one witness stated he was "positive" the object was a meteor. Another officer also said it appeared to be "the most beautiful" meteor he had ever seen. A ground survey of the White Hills area and transmitter site was conducted but found no material of a questionable nature. The investigation file notes that some witnesses thought the object may have struck the ground, but it was never found or reported. The file does not state a final Air Force conclusion about what the object was.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, spanning 9 pages.