Window Rock, ArizonaMarch 1949

# Window Rock, Arizona, March 1949

On March 7, 1949, at 1810 hours (6:10 p.m.), an Indian trader driving near Window Rock, Arizona, spotted an unusual object in the sky. The witness was traveling in a car with a clear windshield when a moving object caught his attention. He watched it for 6 to 8 seconds as it traveled across the sky heading north, roughly following the Arizona-New Mexico border.

The object appeared to be a sphere about three feet in diameter. It had a striking color pattern: red fire glowing at the center that shaded to blue at the edges. The sphere was bright enough to see clearly in daylight, even though the sighting occurred just half an hour before sunset. The witness said the object left a very slight trail as it moved. It traveled in a straight line with no turns, climbs, or dives, moving at an estimated speed of 200 to 300 miles per hour. The object made no sound and produced no odor.

The sphere appeared to be about 1.5 miles away and at an altitude of 10 to 15 degrees above the horizon. According to the witness, the object disintegrated as it flew, and this disintegration happened gradually rather than all at once. The Air Force interviewed the witness on April 18, 1949, and noted that he was a man of excellent character. No photographs or physical evidence were collected.

The U.S. Air Force evaluated the case and concluded it was unidentified. The full case file, as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below in 7 pages.