Documents / Official release

342 HS1-416511228 319.1 Flying Discs 1949

U.S. Department of War · 1950-01-09 · 143 pages · text by GLM-OCR

This 1949 War Department file 319.1, Flying Discs, is a set of U.S. Air Force Flight Service Center reports on unidentified flying objects sent to the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson. The reports cover sightings over Kansas City and Olathe, Rome, Seattle, Greenville, Spokane, Medford, Columbus, Portland, Mountain Home, Jackson and Chanute AFB. Most remain unexplained, but the Greenville object was found to be a weather balloon. The file also holds a 1948 order telling units to report disc sightings.

From the source:Release of 2026-05-08 Incident: 1/9/50, N/A. This file primarily contains incident reports on Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) written in compliance with the 1948 Flight Service Regulation (FSR) 200-4. The incidents were witnessed by military sources, as well as by some Civilian Aviation Authority (CAA) ones. The reports typically include information such as dates, locations, weather, and altitude, plus detailed descriptions of appearance and movement. Some messages from the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) and Army Airways Communications System (AACS) are also included, as well as additional military intelligence reports, several diagrams, and a report from a weather station in Japan.

  • p. 3 …In compliance with FSR 200-4 dated 2 November 1949, and letter, Headquarters USAF, Subject: "Reporting…
  • p. 37 …In compliance with FS Regulation 200-4 dated 2 November 1948 and letter, Headquarters USAF, Subject…
  • p. 46 …In accordance with provisions of letter, Headquarters, Air Weather Service, subject as above, file A-2…
  • p. 58 …2 November 1948, in reference to letter, Headquarters, USAF, subject: "Reporting of Information on 'Flying Discs…
  • p. 62 HEADQUARTERS MILITARY AIR TRANSPORT SERVICE INCOMING CLASSIFIED MESSAGES CR NBR 05/23 221850Z DTG FROM: NFLD…
  • p. 65 …In accordance with letter, Headquarters, USAF, subject: "Reporting of Information on "Flying Discs"," dated 6 February…
  • p. 75 …In accordance with Restricted letter, Headquarters, 2108th Air Weather Group, subject: Report on Information on "Flying…
  • p. 76 A DISPATCHED 18 FEB 1949 HEADQUARTERS 6th Weather Squadron
  • p. 77 …The above report has already been submitted to Headquarters Air Materiel Command and Headquarters United States…
  • p. 78 …5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 DISPATCHED 18 FEB 1949 HEADQUARTERS 6th Weather Squadron
  • p. 83 …In accordance with the provisions of letter, Headquarters, United States Air Force, subject: "Reporting of Information…
  • p. 92 …In compliance with directives received from higher headquarters, forwarded herewith is complete information as received from…
  • p. 93 …In the event that further information is desired by your headquarters concerning the object as reported…
  • p. 99 …Director of Intelligence Headquarters, Air Materiel Command, Attention: MCIAXO-3 Headquarters, Pacific Division, MATS, Attention: Chief…
  • p. 117 …The control tower reported the incident to Base Headquarters. 2 Ingl 1. Weather Report 2. Sketch…
  • p. 121 …James Toomey is submitted in compliance with Secret Letter dtd 20 Oct 48 from MATS Headquarters…
  • p. 122 …In compliance with FS Regulation 200-4 dated 2 November 1948 and letter, Headquarters, USAF., Subject…
  • p. 128 …Cassidy Headquarters, Air Rescue Service Washington 25, D. C. b. S/Sgt T.P. Turner Air…
  • p. 130 …same time to this Headquarters, Attention: Director of Intelligence. 5. Headquarters, Air Materiel Command is authorized…
  • p. 131 …The Air Materiel Command will furnish this Headquarters with such reports as are called for by…
  • p. 132 …Reference letter, Headquarters USAF, subject: "Reporting of Information on 'Flying Dises.'" dated 6 February 1948 and…
  • p. 137 …In compliance with 21020 Air Weather Group TEX 464 dated 19 November 1948 and letter, Headquarters…
  • p. 142 …The following TWX received from Headquarters, USAF is quoted for your information and necessary action: "REFER…

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

STATEMENT

12 January 1949

At the request of Chief of Intelligence, the undersigned wishes to describe as accurately as possible his impressions of the brief appearance of an unknown illuminated object which appeared over Fairfield-Suisun AFB at 2015 PST on 3 December 1948. The object first shot into view about 2 miles north of the control tower, flying at a low altitude between 500 and 1000 feet, climbing on a low trajectory, with a speed estimated at something in excess of 400 miles per hour. Immediately after sighting, this observer rushed to the east side of the tower. By this time the object was estimated to have not more than 1500 feet of altitude and its speed had slowed for several seconds to perhaps two-hundred (200) miles per hour. The observer can recall that at this stage the object had a very slight undulating or bouncing motion. When its position oriented with a line between the tower and the air freight terminal, but a slight distance east of the terminal, the object took an almost vertical rise or climb and levelled off again at an estimated three thousand feet. At that time the other control tower operator on duty continued watching the object while this observer telephoned the AACS operations officer residing on the base in hopes he might be able to get a look at it. The other tower operator reported the object almost immediately started a fast climb toward the south-southeast and reached about twenty thousand feet, at which point he lost sight of it. The undersigned never saw the object again after going for the telephone.

Pertinent information is that the light was clearly seen with the naked eye, brilliant but by no means blinding. In size it was comparable to one of Fairfield-Suisun AFB's high-intensity runway lights. The observer is convinced it was not an aircraft navigation light. The night was clear, and the wind was indicating southwest at 10 miles per hour on tower instruments.

I certify and affirm that the information herein is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and ability.

CERTIFIED TRUE COPY

Cottery Canadia

ARTHUR CONRADI JR

Major, USAF

Chief of Intelligence

/s/ Bruce Earlin McFarland

/t/ Bruse Earlin McFarland

PFC, USAF

1901 AACS Squadron

Fairfield-Suisun AFB, Calif.

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About this file

Official release, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 143 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.