Incident #91 Sighting Report — Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama, 28 June 1947

This document compiles records related to Incident #91, a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon that occurred on 28 June 1947 near Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama. Four military personnel, including rated pilots and air intelligence officers, observed a light that appeared slightly brighter than a star. The object was first noted above the horizon, traveling in an easterly direction at a high rate of speed. The observers reported that the object moved in a zig-zag course with frequent bursts of speed, comparing its movement to a water bug on the surface of water. The object was observed for over five minutes, during which it traveled east, then south, and finally southwest before being lost in the brilliance of the moon. The observers noted that the object's behavior appeared to defy common aerodynamic laws. A subsequent inquiry to Maxwell Field operations confirmed that no experimental aircraft were scheduled for flight in the vicinity at the time. The incident was later evaluated by the Air Weather Service, which suggested that a small lighted weather balloon caught in changeable winds aloft might explain the sighting. The document includes an incident index from the Project GRUDGE report and correspondence from the Air Materiel Command regarding the collection and interpretation of data for Project SIGN, noting that many reported incidents could be attributed to weather balloons.