Twin Falls, IdahoAugust 1947

Unidentified

Summary

On August 13, 1947, a farmer in Smoke River Canyon near Twin Falls, Idaho, watched an unusual object fly through the canyon with his two young sons, ages eight and ten. The object remained visible for only a moment, at a distance of about 300 feet, traveling roughly 75 feet above the ground as it moved from east to west.

The object was sky blue in color and made a swishing sound as it passed. The farmer noted that he doubted the object would even be visible against the sky. What struck him most was the behavior of the trees. As the object flew directly over them, the trees did not simply bend with the wind, as they would if a plane had passed nearby. Instead, they "spun around on top as if they were in a vacuum." Both boys said they saw what looked like smokeless turbine or exhaust flames shooting from a knot or opening on the device, and through the flames they could see daylight.

The object was described as roughly 20 to 25 feet across and 10 feet thick, with a shape resembling an inverted pie plate or a broad-rimmed hat with a low crown. The farmer sent his sons to sketch what they had seen, providing detailed drawings of the device from different angles.

An FBI report dated August 20, 1947, summarized the investigation and noted that the farmer appeared sincere and sober. The Air Force's analysis, authored by astronomer Dr. J. Allen Hynek for Project Grudge, suggested that the object was likely a rapidly moving atmospheric eddy, a rotating column of air. The file concludes the case as unidentified, listing it in a category of incidents with evidence that suggests no ready explanation.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 11 pages.

Reported location

Twin Falls, Idaho

Date of incident

August 1947

State / country

ID / US

Page count

11 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unidentified

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 2

. ; v3 3 b= : ; on e { 1 hk \ A - AR ; orl ASSN 8) i Seaton Lf 4 \ . . ¢ AMT ® i . 2 ony va a fr hg 3 . ’ a STN gd lA Iacia cd fri) > Wil ; ( ud av v—. | AIC Mey i / DAS Of 110) 13 Ane 19.7 Lo” ! Pr —— - - ——— ci— — —_— I —s® PN Sate © oh iS. Satis HS ol & 5 sibs caibiilie ds. a6 ! Ne _ : & 1 SR aa i { x 9. — i DCAT TION Twin Falls, Idaho WNT Js en SOUR linle Civilians ! PATE OF (| PUD DATE IN TO AVI — | Fat OF 1 win 1300 MST COLOR Sky blue i . ; ee Ms. ai ase i io ainsiilbaniell SR , su ’ — CYAN TY - b r Pi . 3 YO a—— : - ) ’ Al ’ Inv rt d [ fo Plate 2 3 [ 1000 Hi AA & : 0 ; i ; y ce 4 igi iin a sii - J N " bik 1 | J : : : 20) trom HE EN (rr a ol RAR « ! Thiel & N11 PS =e - sa A Re 20 18 10 LACK ALT obsorver 7 SE : ~I*Y rN ry n 3 1 COURS 2/00 & to W LUKGTH OF 110: 0B tv lomsntary RERORR a = A sh : ao Ee bad Ld Eb 28'S Aq ) Wy al ra J i$. TH Gr) One PE, 1 COCFRIVAT TON Ground LOR:N owishing sound varity Up and down over hills and hollows of canyon, f nn Rp— ‘i IN "11 £2 ones " » ) > 2s RITE «or APR IR RET vA RGN PIO ~TA 28 37 A XT2 ry, 22 bed JA “ od ry vy alia WAL AA) J \ ' y Lv eg | og - : r romnorary ATIC Form 0 TIA) ASSIFIED : i / o wo | 8 ee aed ~ : / / J E { ) Jan ‘ 3 [ eR ———— SE SPN. oe A ———————— \ | JP ~~ 1 / 3 i .