Sweetwater, NevadaApril 1953

On April 12, 1953, three Air Force pilots flying a C-47 cargo aircraft spotted ten round, flat metallic objects near Sweetwater, Nevada. Major Fred G. Padelford was at the controls, accompanied by second lieutenants Frank E. White and John Cripe of the 8th Air Rescue Squadron. All three were flying from Long Beach, California to Stead Air Force Base near Reno. The C-47 was cruising at 10,500 feet, headed roughly east, when the objects appeared suddenly beneath them at about 7,500 feet, heading roughly east-southeast. The crew watched for approximately two minutes.

The objects were described as round and flat, roughly the size of a flying T-6 trainer aircraft, with a metallic gray color that darkened as the distance increased. They flew in a loose formation that kept changing shape. The pilots heard no sound and saw no exhaust or smoke trails. When Padelford spotted them flashing beneath his right engine nacelle, he took control of the C-47 and banked right in a tight 300-degree turn to get a better look. His two crew members then saw the objects independently, without being told where to look. The mysterious craft executed their own right turn at a much larger radius than the C-47 could manage, and they descended as they turned. The objects were visible for roughly 120 degrees of arc before they vanished on a heading of about 300 degrees. Weather conditions were good: slightly hazy, visibility 30 miles, with scattered clouds and light winds from the west-southwest at 20 knots.

The pilots did not report the sighting until landing at Stead. According to the file, Padelford and his crew said the speed seemed too fast to be ducks, which officers had considered as a possible explanation. An official at Stead Air Force Base who reviewed the case noted that the observers were reliable and the sighting appeared probably true. However, the Air Force concluded the objects were likely aircraft, possibly trainers. Intelligence officials requested more information on the case and expressed interest in it. An astronomer at Ohio State University who reviewed the file thought it was "the most interesting case of the batch" and wondered whether the Air Force should look more closely at possibilities beyond conventional aircraft. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 20 scanned pages.