Whittier, AlaskaDecember 1958

On a clear, cold night in December 1958, observers near Whittier, Alaska saw something bright streak across the sky and hit a mountain about eight miles to the northeast. The object was described as larger than a basketball with reddish-orange flames. It lit up the surrounding area before disappearing behind the mountain. The sighting lasted only a fraction of a second.

The U.S. Air Force launched an investigation. Military officials obtained detailed descriptions from the witness, Captain James S. Alexander, who was stationed at the Army port in Whittier. The weather that night was clear and dark, with temperatures between 5 and 22 degrees below zero. Visibility was good. The Air Force also noted that a reconnaissance mission to the impact area was scheduled for December 24, though the OCR text becomes difficult to read regarding whether that mission was completed.

Intelligence officials checked whether the object might have been Sputnik III, the Soviet rocket that had recently launched. They ruled that out. They also consulted with personnel at the Geophysical Institute in Fairbanks, Alaska. That expert indicated the observation was "possibly meteor." The Air Force's official conclusion, recorded on the case card, was that the object was most likely a meteor, though the file notes the conclusion as "probably" rather than "definitely."

The full case file, consisting of 7 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.