Incident #93 Sighting Report — Hartford, Connecticut, 11 January 1948

This document details Incident #93, an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena sighting that occurred on 11 January 1948 near Hartford, Connecticut. The primary witnesses were Captain Kenneth M. Helton and Captain James J. Pargoe of the Atlantic Division, Air Transport Command, Squadron 'D', Air Evacuation. At approximately 1630 hours, the pilots observed an unidentified object while flying. The object was described as a disc with a bluish center and red edges, traveling at a very high velocity. It was noted that the object had no tail or exhaust trails and made no sound. The object appeared to be 'shooting toward earth at a 45 degree angle' and eventually dropped out of sight on the north side of Mt. Tom, near Holyoke, Massachusetts. Due to the short duration of the sighting and the high speed of the object, the observers could not be certain of its size, though they noted it resembled a 'shooting star.' The report includes an extract from the Weekly Intelligence Summary of the Air Transport Command dated 23 January 1948. Subsequent documentation from the Air Weather Service, dated 24 January 1949, suggests that a synoptic weather balloon could have been in the location where the sighting was reported, noting that wind direction and speed at the surface and aloft were considered in their investigation. The incident is also referenced in the Project Grudge Report, where it is categorized under 'fair or low probability' for astronomical explanations. The document concludes that while the object's nature is debated, identification as a fireball at the end of its trajectory is considered a possibility.