Wichita, KansasApril 1952

On April 15, 1952, a retired aeronautical engineer in Wichita, Kansas observed a yellow light streak cross the sky twice in one minute. The observer, president of the Swallow Airplane Company, was standing on a sidewalk near North Belmont when he saw the object appear around 10:45 p.m. The light was bright and clearly visible against the dark sky. The top and bottom edges of the streak appeared parallel, and it curved slightly. The light disappeared suddenly, as if switched off by an electric switch. About one minute later, the same type of object appeared again in nearly the same area. The second sighting was witnessed simultaneously by another person, Mrs. Bloomfield.

The observer estimated the object traveled between 200 and 300 miles per hour at a height of roughly 500 feet and a distance of approximately 1,500 feet. The light source did not twinkle like a star and made no noise. The observer described the object's shape as resembling a long curved band, wider than it was long, with uniform brightness throughout. The observer did not believe the light came from any jet engine, as there was no sign of flames, exhaust, or discoloration. Each appearance lasted about 1.5 seconds.

The Air Force investigated the incident promptly. The officer who prepared the case file noted that the observer was well qualified as a graduate engineer with continuous experience in the aircraft industry since 1929. His observations were well documented. The file mentions that atmospheric and meteorological conditions were clear, with no moon visible and a light wind from the east. No physical evidence such as photographs or fragments was recovered. The investigating officer concluded that while the sighting itself was significant, the information was too fragmentary to identify the object on its own, though it might fit into a broader pattern when combined with other reports.

The Air Force designated this case as unidentified. The full case file, containing 11 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.