Analysis of Flying Object Incidents in the United States, 1949

This declassified Air Intelligence Report No. 100-203-79 is a Top Secret study by the Directorate of Intelligence, Headquarters USAF, and the Office of Naval Intelligence, dated 10 December 1948. It looks at about 210 reported flying object incidents and concludes that some type of flying object has been observed, though what the objects are and where they come from cannot be determined. It considers domestic devices or Soviet aircraft based on German flying wing designs, and its appendices cover selected reports, explained cases and flying wing aircraft.

From the source: Release of 2026-07-10 Incident: 4/28/49, Virginia. This file contains a U.S. Air Force (USAF) Air Intelligence Division study, “Analysis of Flying Object Incidents in the United States,” Study No. 203, dated 04/28/1949. The analysis includes an assessment of various reported unidentified flying object (UFO) incidents and theories to account for their nature and origin. Overall, the study assesses that “it appears that some object has been seen; however, the identification of that object cannot be readily accomplished.” The study offers that two “reasonable” origins might account for the phenomena: technologies of a domestic or foreign origin. It also suggests that, if foreign, it is prudent for the United States to assume that UFO observations are attributable to scientific, military, or intelligence activities of the Soviet Union, and, in that case, to take seriously the threat such objects may pose. The file also contains selected contemporary UFO reports and examples of experimental “flying wing” type aircraft planforms that might account for certain commonly reported UFO characteristics. AARO Comment: This file appears to be a later revision of the file contained in DOW-UAP-D093, whose content is substantively similar.

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• h. Ol:l 20 July 11147, Kenmth Arnold, wh!le flyl:og near Ta.coma, WMhtniiton, reported a forxnatlcn
of flyil'.lll objeots. Hls slmtch of their 9h•P& oorreeponds C\lo•el'y to that ehown ln tha photoira1ihs
made by Mr. Rhoads. On tha sa.ma day, two U. S. Air Force pilots rit Hamilton Fhtld reported
two !lylo,: disks trailing a P-80, following It toward Oakland, Caltlornla.
L On 4 August 11147, the JJllot. and co-pilot of a DC-3, flying fo.r one Al Jonei,, near Bethel,
Alask•, raported a tlylng disk ls.rger th!l!l their· air,mut. Thla disk crossed their path at abot1t
1,000 feet and they turned to give chase. The DC-3 was !Jyini at 170 mph, but the disk flew out
of ~iil1t !n four mlnute11.
j. On Ul November 1947, two llyini disks trallillg Jet-like streams of fi:ro wore reportedly
sighted from the bridge of the 1anker 'l'lconderoia, e.ccor,lllli,' to the saoo11d officc:r. The Tlconderos•
was 20 miles off th& Oregon shore. '!'his officer salt! the disks w0re in l!lght 45 aeconde, mOYillg
at a ~peed osti,m,tad at 700-900 mph, curvlnff in a long, low arc.