PROJECT BLUE BOOK

.
... --. .
: PROJECT 10073 RECORD
1. DATE - TIME GROUP LOCATION
13/0100z Roanoke, Virginia 327.
12 May 49
3. SOURCE 10. CONCLUSION
Civilian . AIRCRAFT
4 NUMBER OF OBJECTS
.
one
5. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 11. BRIEF SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS
Not Reported Observer sighted I what appeared to be an amber light. It was
moving slowly and it appeared as an airplane with landing
6. TYPE OF OBSERVATION lights. The light was turned off and a sound, like the
Ground-Visual drone of B-29 motors, was Sparks were
7. COURSE the object.
West
. PHOTOS

Investigation requested by Lt. Colonel A.J.
HEMSTREET, JR , Acting Chief, Analysis Division,
. . Intelligence Department, Wright-Patterso Air
Force Base, Dayton, Ohio to determine character-
istics of mysterious cigar-shaped object re-
ported seen by several over Roanoke,
Virginia and other parts West Virginia and
Eastern Tennessee. Report servers was
taken from the Roanoke World-News, Roancke,
Virginia, May 1949.
UNCLASSIFIED
-
DISTRIBUTION ACTION COPY FORWARDED TO FILE STAMP
CG, AMC 2 Commanding General
Hq. OSI (Incl) 2 Air Materiel Command
DO #21 (Incls) 2 Wright-Patterson AFB
File 2 Dayton, Ohio
ATTN CIAXS
Ceoxciil
Captain, USAF
Acting DISTRICT COMMANDER
AFCSI FORM 16-50438-1 U. B. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ,6
23 JULY 48 4

Roanoke and other parts West Virginia and Eastern Tennessee. An extract
copy of subject per item is attached as an inclosure his report.
INCLOSURES
FOR HEADQUARTERS OSI
1. Extract copy of Roanoke World-News clipping
FOR DISTRICT OFFICE NO. 21, LANGLEY AFB
1. Extract copy Roanoke World-News
2.
. a
PENI N G
E
ED
Y

UNDEVELOPED LEADS
DISTRICT OFFICE NO. 2l, LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, VIRGINIA
AT ROANOKE, VIRGINIA
1. Will interview the following persons ncerning cigar-shaped object
mentioned in report, using informatior n Guide to Investigation:
Mr
Mr. Roanoke, Virginia
2. Will submit
0-208 (Form. 4).
AT CHRISTIANSBURG, VIRGINIA
. 1. Will interview the following persons concerning cigar-shaped object
mentioned in report, using Investigation:
Mr Christiansburg, rginia
Mr. oad, Christiansburg, Virginia
2.1 Will submit nvestigation this office
0-208 ·(Form 4). .
.
Cremain

12.I Distance from observer
13.D Direction of flight object(s)
14. Time in sight
15. Speed Slowly
16. Sound and odor Like drone of
(over)
'
Aircrast
•

for that for a while it seemed to be -
could tell it was slowly moving., I watched
me it appeared looked liko an air plan the rather
amber color., about time it was well entering Roanoke City limits the
lights were out off and I did not see any other lights about it.
Post Office and h been employed there for nearly Twenty Eight Years.
/8/

of
matter
-
, 8
3 -

Dayton, Ohio
.
1.
2. No acknowledgment has been made by this headquarters.
.
BY COMAND OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF:
DeRohinan
Incl
Ltr dtd 14 May 1949
. 32.7
Incident 1
5-3,

reply.
Inasmuch as the information contained in your letter was not
requested by the Civil Aeronautics Administration, we are forward-
ing your letter to the Department of the Air
D. C.
Sincerely
'

327 minutes I could tell was
closely and the nearer lcoked
like an air plane witk the landing light amber
color., and about time it was well entering Roanoke City
limits the lights were and I did other
lights bout
exhauet
In order to am a Postal Employee
at the Roanoke Va., Post Office and have been employed there
for nearly Twenty Eight Years.
Resyactf
MA  BA
d Rd.
Roanoke, Va.

of Special Agent LEON C ICH, District Jo. 2l, dated
23 August 1949.
3. Your attention is invited to Paragraph
May 1949, which orohibits the disclosure of the
nature, S or existence of investigative information to un-
authorized persons.
DQDD
UNCLASS SIFIED
WF-O-S OCT 48 15M

five activity at recuested from offi-
cial sources flying in area, a weather balloon
released for winds aloft report scheduled Airline fli hts at ood-
rum Field, Roanoke, Virginie was not knowm to have had contact
with the earth with the earth nono known n photo raohs are in existence. aphs are in existence. Interviews Interviews
conducted and icial reports noted.
DISTRIBUTION ACTION COPY FORWARDED TO FILE STAMP
DO 5 4 COMMANDING GENERAL
Hq OSI a AIR MATERIEL COMMAND
File 2 WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB
DAYTON, OHIO
AIIN: MCIAXS
APPROVED
7-3112-19
LEO HA JUHSON
Lt. COl., USAF UNCLASSIFIED
District Comnander.
'ORM Roplaces AFCSI Form 4, 10-57744-1 U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
.N 49 0-208

.
.
.
UNCLASSIFIED
.

:
VILLAGE OF ay
FARAWAY PLACES WITH
Strange Sounding Names
The lyricist in a current Hit Parade favorite The pretty, gently curved hill (top center in the Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllan-
confesses there are certain faraway places with picture below) of Taumatawhakatangihangakoau- tysiliogogogoch is on the island of Anglesey, North
strange soundin'names that he simply is burnin' auotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, which con- Wales. In a splendid d demonstration of democracy
to see. He goes on to mention to sce. Ic gocs on to mention such familiar such familiar dissyl. dissyl- tains 57 letters, is i he heart of tains 57 letters, is v Zealand's v Zealand's in action no one of its syllables is accented over in action no one of itss syllables is accented over
lables as Siam and China. But the strangest lables as Siam and China. But t thes strangest sound- sound- shcep-raising count. . an area whea sheep-raising count.. . an area whea man has to the other. The natives usually shorten it to only 10 the other. The natives usually shorten it toonly 10
ing names of all he c ing names of all he completely ignores and and with get his day's work done, so it is simply referred to letters—Llanfair P.C. For those to whom plowing Ietters-Llanfair P.C. For those to whom plowing
good reason: they are the longest good reason: thcy a are the longest (above) ) and sec- and sec- as "that hill." In the original Maori it means, "The as "that hill." In the original Maori it mcans, "The through such names even once proves tiring, there
ond longest (beloic) names of localities in the world ond longest (below) names of localities in the world place where Tamatea known as Land Eater played are wonderfully relaxing places like the village of A
and (next page) the longest reported in the U.S. on his flute to his loved one." Tho little village of in Sweden and Holland's admirably simple river Y.
..
8
9 a
"
2
=
HL Taumatawhakatangihangakc…auamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 167

Roanoke, Va. .
. .
. 1
+
9. is
1
+
acknowledged by this Heudquartors.
.
.
be incorporated erial
phenomena.
is appr ted. 4
. Sincerely yours,
.
.
1
327

The Rounoke Werld. Nears
mdy 2
DATE
BOI ON MNO DOV (LV *AON OZ) SEE OEHE DE BOAA RRS LEOOL
Mysterious Cigar-Shaped
67 des 26 67 des E7 VA 'MIONVON
HOOH B'd
Object Observed in Skies
INNLS object with a glowing red tip in front and 2
PAEED A cigar-shaped Roanoke and
ON trail of fire or sparks from the rear was reported over
other parts of Western Virginia and Eastern Tennessee last night.
No official source would venture a comment on the object except
that police in Kingsport, Tenn., were reported to have said the
"phenomenon" was a group of jet fighters at 35,000 feet.
The first Roanoke report came from J. S. Mays, 1504 Chap-
man Ave., S. W., who said he saw the object about 8 last night
DATE while he was driving a few miles north of Boones Mill. He and
a companion, W. F. Mullins, 1101 Williamson Rd., saw the object
SEDRE pop over the horizon.
"It was going straight up when we saw it," Mays said, and was
stepping on it." He said the glow in the nose of the object was
"redder than an ordinary light bulb" and it was trailing a streak
ne body," he added.
Mays said he and his companion watch the object for about
ten minutes as it appeared over the we horizon, traveled upward
OHR and then headed east. They heard no sound.
Other similar reports came in from Kingsport, Bristol, Pulaski,
Christiansburg and points east of Roanoke.
L. B. Graybeal of Christiansburg, a former Air Force pilot,
RORTC reported the object came in at about 6.ooo feet and that he
ISO-SEOS heard a "roaring sound." There was á light in the object and
REC streak of sparks, he said.
Mrs. C. L. Phillips who lives on the Radford road about a
DSSK SIIIAN DALE mile west of Christiansburg, said she was standing in her yard
101 with some friends when "the thing sprung up over the horizon."
"It was neither lightning, meteor or airplane," she was quoted
as saying, but was "straight along the sides, big at the head and
narrowed down." There was a shower of sparks from the front
end, she added. L2E
. The Civil Aeronautics Administration communication center
at Woodrum Field reported "a ouple of calls"' about the object last
DATE night but said nothing regarding it had been entered on the of-
TAANNAL M-OO 'ON NO OOV LLW AON OZI BEE OEHE SE FOEW RRS ficial log.
In Atlanta, the CAA was asking for reports on the object but
67/L: said it was "just routine." "Wherever we hear of anything like 5
that," a spokesman explained, "we ask for reports, no matter how
strange or queer it may seem."
OTHR Headu 2
ISO-OS
ROROLT0
SXVS SXVI DAEE E LY
REC Daylon
FROOM :01 DESK Ohio

.
... D
. .
DACE
..
, ...
+ ..
T
+ HAr
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. .
1. PYP CF

Mr ceola, Iowa, was inter-
viewed and stated that the reported flying
discs were nothing more than reflections
from automobile headlamps from cars coming
from the east going into the sun in the
west, the sun sending these reflections in-
to the atmosphere.
DOWNGRADED AT :
DECLASSIFIE? ARb:
DOD Do
DISTRIBUTION ACTION COPY FORWARDED TO FILE STAMP
CG, AMC, Wright-Patterson
AFB, ATTN: Dir of Tech
Intel (THRU: DO #5) (2
Incls) 2
DO #5 (info) (2 Incls) 1
Dir Intel, Hq OSI (THRU:
HqOSI)(2 Incls) 1
Hq OSI (2 Incls) 1 APPROVED 7-3712-19
File (2 Incls) 2 .
MATTHEN THOMPSON UNCLASS!FIED
.0! Lt Colonel, USAF
District Commander.
AFHQ FORM 0-208 Replaces AFCSI 16-57744-1 U. S. GOVERNNENT PRINTING OPFICE
15 JAN 49

are not never practiced
to informants' knowledge. eyesight is bad difficult
for him to read. Informants stated that ad told a "wild" story
about flying discs and claimed he knew what they were. ppeared
to be sincere in his statements about the discs. Informants stated that -
BURNS possesses fine character, espected citizen the community,
and they him.
2. Mr lawyer, Osceola, Iowa, was interviewed
on 22 June 1949. Mr stated that he saw the objects on 12-15 5 May
1949 at 2:00 P.M. Central Standard Time. stated that he was in a
one mil aost Osceol a Towa and
the highway and watched the objects, trying to determine what they were.
The objects looked like glass, had a metal color to them, wer
were not lighted. Mr was facing south the objects' from
his left and sailed inco the clouds in the eas left, The first ob-
ject was going due east and was high others skimmed along
the ground and rose into sky first was in sight for fifteen
seconds and the others were in sight thirty estimated
their speed at They had no sound or odor, there
were no projections, and climbed upward and disappeared into clouds,
upon which they had no effect. object was about four hundred
yards from .nd the others were about forty yards At the time Mr.
.ighted the objects, there was cloud bank ir east, altitude
indeterminable, and the sun was bright in the west with few scattered
clouds very high. Mr stated that after watching the objects for
UNCLASSIFIED
2

1949,
12 miles; pre dew point, 5 winds,
sw O4 knots; al eter, OO8. The winds aloft report was as follows:
2,000 300' at knots 5,000 270' at 06 8,000 250' at 05
3,000 296 at 06 6,000 260 at 05 9,000 310 at 03
4,000 280 at 06 7,000 250 at 06 10,000 340 at 07
Local flight schedules of commercial -
as follows: United Air Lines: "estbound, 1435 hours; Eastbound, 1505 and
12 vid-Con 1.57
no rec subject revealed.
AGENT's NOTE: Mr ars to be a fairly intelligent man He is
inquisitive about things s and is sincere in his desire to clear up the
matter of' "these discs" for the Air Force lis approximately seventy
years of age and is well I kept. owns his home and property elsewhere.
ears exceptionally thick glasses. His hobbies are hunting and
fishing. This do opear publicity stunt.
. Inclosures:
1. Sketch made by Mr showing details of discs.
2. Sketch made by Mr. showing point of observation.
- REFERRED F ORIGIN -
. 3

creases
.
"These discs are not true to scale and
Incl 1 - Sketch made by Mr showing
details of discs.
a

-
N
COPY +
.
Water
Park Dam
UNUIEEEEE
Time 2 o'clock P.M.
Sututus
Observer
Nimbus cloud b B3
ums
Fed. Highway #34
Incl 2 - Sketch made by Mr m ashowing point of observation.
S

OBJECT Turnished opinions efrect that O3JeCT is Delieved to
have had some connection with the sun-sunlight-and the atmosohere. No smoke or
vapor so high that no vapor trail
was left or could be seen. classes were used in an
the OBJLCT results tained.
front yard of their hone located one! milo west of Chris rinia, on
(Hiway 1r) when called attentio in the
ting, a single apoeared at aproximatel degrees
from north and traveled in strai ht ilicht wes east roi sight
due to height or behind a nill in the outieast approximately 12
escent color of
UNCLASS

Force Base
Dayton, Ohio
ATTN: MCIAXS
1. Inclosed for your information is report investigaticn by
Specia uly 1949, subject:
Osceola, Iowa."
2. Subject this
District Office.
2
4P
1 Incl JEROME M. BRAUN
R/I dtd 12 Jul 19 Acting District Commander
UNCLASS
.
WF-O-5 JULI9
48 15M

3. Hours Minutes
A.M. P.M.Daylig Standard
Zone: E Eastern, Mountain, Pacific,
Other
4. Length of tire Estimate: Minutes
Hours Seconds
5. Where observed:
O5eenp ?
Postal Address City or Town State
Yes or No
9. I 5 and hour
Direction Speed
Naked eye
Eye glasses)
Other r glass (Window or Windshield)
Binoculars, Theodolite
Other
-
11. How did you happen to notice the object:
LOOKED
1

House, Tree, . d. Decrease
Other
in size. f. Decrease g• Move in something.
h. Other
3 object, W cing?

Horizon Observer's Horizon
after equal intervals of Eye
ing the sighting. SKETCH B
19. In Sketch C please show the
observed features object
such as;
A. A Apparent shape, (were edges
. -
D
0
SKETCH D

a
.

.
28. Further comments which you believe are important should be entered here.
MR.ZAHATED THAT AFTER WATCHING THE OBJECTS FOR
HOUR, HE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THEY
ABOUT ONE OF THE HEADLAMPS
WERE NOTHHING MORE THAN REFLEOTIONS
COMING FROM THE EAST AND GOING INTO
OF AUTOMDBILES THESE REFLECTIONS
IN THE WEST, THE SUN SE10116
1HE sUiN
FROM AUTD IMOS 17O THE PTM10S
THE

.
WORK SHEET
Observer's .
Data Punched
Sheet Card
Question Column Code Description
1*
2 Incident serial
3 Serial No. number
4
5
6 Serial_No.... Insertion
7
∞ol
9
1. 10 Month
11
12 Year Observed
13
14 Day
15
16 Month Reported
17 y
18 y Day
19
20 Month Rec'd ATIC
21 $\fra3}$
22 Hrs. Time of observa-
23 0 tion Greenwich C.T.
3. 24 2 Min.
.

A
. -2-
Observer's
Data Punched
Sheet Card
Question Column Code Description
6. 41* Where observer was
7.8. 42* Moving - Stopped
10. 43* How observed
12a.44* Sound
12c. 45* Color
12e. 46* Number
12. 12g. 47* Light-color Appearance
12i, 14b. 48* Speed Description
12b, 19 49* Shape
12b, 19 50* a/b
12d, 14e, 20 51* Size
14 Licht brightness
53* knaular velocity
4 12h, 14 T0 Angular acceleration Motion_
15. 55* Describe appearance
13.140 56* Describe disappearance
57* Initial elevation
17. 58* Final elevation Elevation
59
12i21. 60 Altitude, l000 ft. Altitude
18, 19.. 61 * Obiect orientation
62*
63 λλ
240 64 Civilian occupation
65* Y Observer
71
72
73
74
75
76* Observer
77* Report Evaluation
78* Preliminary
79* Identi fication
80* Final
* Denotes s sepal needed

flight conditions. Mr a man of about fi
years of age, than average and is thin in build. .rs.
aporoximately forty-nine years of age, is of average and sli,htly heavy
in build. wears eye-glasses P of beavy lens
Lir. is a painter
formant stated hobbies
AT ROANOKE, VI GINIA
front and get r toward the rear. Additional infcr n wo.
to the effect that te EOT seen through fo
Looked like a long thin JOVC somewhat like snoke, and
gained speed and ie verhea vapor
UNCLA IFIED
-3-

creased t rised and moved rhead. vaDor
trail was-seen and 'aded out as the CBJECT moved sky.
O. JEcT travoled material ther was
noticed.
at l4 liles per hour.
UNCLASSIFIED
-

10,000' 340
12,000' : = 340 "" " 17 "
.
Surface wind 20 degrees at knots
2000' 11 50 "1 "9 4 "!
3000' " "9 10 " It 6 11
"1 " 360 "" "1 .13 "
4000'
5000' " "1 10 " 16 "1
' 6000' "1 " 20 16 "
7000' " 20 11 " 16 "!
8000' tt ∴20 " "1 16 11
90001 11 10 "' 13 11
. -

755 6:34 PM 6:44
754 8:46 PR 8:56 PM
189 10:55 PM 11:05 PM
Piedmont Airlines
Flight No. Due In Due Out
32 9:01 AM 9:04 A
43 8:53 AM -----
31 9:10 AM 9:13 AM
40 9:40 AM
33 2:40 PM 2:43 PM
30 3:21 PM 3:24 PM
37 7:35 PM -------*
b. Two Navons from Woodrum Field were flying local.
c. No air traffic excent the scheduled Airlines were known to be in
the area
d. No knowm bureau
balloons used for wind dings. 1
-6-
.

Pulaski Radio advised Woodrur Tower of a call aircraft num-
ber NG 5716, over Pulaski, Virginia, inquiring if Pulaski Radio Oberators had
sighted a conet at 10,000 Noodrum Field Control Tower also received
telephone regerd the sky call. reocrted an
orange color fire sichte head, fall in northeasterly
direction, disappearing benind the mountains nanes were listed for any
of these calls. The only knowm object released in the area a weather bal-
ported.
12. The
. OBJECT by Informants:
DIRECTION of TRAVEL
V
LiKE A
O
7 71
BRIGhT Reddish
white YeLLOW IED
GLow 9low
D
-7-

.
.
.
T
DiRect TRAUEL
.
REFERRED UPON
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+ +
A
-8-