Project Blue Book Case File
Worthington, OhioJuly 1948
Summary
On the evening of July 30, 1948, a man in Worthington, Ohio saw an unusual object in the sky from his home. He first spotted it at 2015 hours (8:15 p.m.) in the southwest direction. The object appeared cylindrical in shape with no visible wings or tail surfaces. It displayed no standard navigation lights and made no engine noise, but it did emit a steady silver glow.
The observer estimated the object was flying at approximately 3,000 feet altitude and moving very slowly toward the southwest. He watched it for about fifteen minutes until it passed out of his line of sight at 2030 hours (8:30 p.m.). The sky that evening was clear with some high scattered clouds and good visibility. He noted that no other military or civilian aircraft were in the area during the sighting.
An Air Force major interviewed the observer after the incident. The investigator noted that the observer's wife also witnessed the object. The Air Force file indicates that an advertising blimp in the neighborhood might explain what was seen, particularly since the sighting occurred just after sunset when a blimp could have appeared as described. The investigator also noted that without knowing the object's actual size and distance, a definitive determination was difficult.
The complete case file, as preserved by the National Archives, is reproduced below in its 11 scanned pages.
Reported location
Worthington, Ohio
Date of incident
July 1948
State / country
OH / US
Page count
11 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unknown
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 3