Incident #109 — Bakersfield, California — 9 March 1948

This document is a field report from the Headquarters Fourth Air Force regarding an investigation into a 'Flying Disc' sighting in Bakersfield, California. The report details an incident occurring on 9 March 1948, involving two witnesses—a secretary and a dentist—located in the Haberfelde Building. The witnesses reported observing a flaming object that initially appeared to be a very small airplane. The object was described as having orange-red flames and trailing considerable black smoke in a zigzag pattern for approximately 4,000 to 5,000 feet. The object was observed at an altitude of 1,000 feet, approximately due north of Bakersfield, at a distance of seven to ten miles. The witnesses further noted that the object disappeared behind a water tower near the ground, and they watched for an explosion, though none occurred. The report includes a summary of information from the Sheriff's Office in Bakersfield, which had received numerous calls from residents regarding peculiar objects in the sky. The Fourth Air Force headquarters concluded that while there was no evidence to substantiate the claim, it was their opinion that the activity could be attributed to marker flares. The document also references a related incident, #106, and includes an index of evaluations extracted from the Project Grudge report, categorizing various sightings by their probability of being astronomical or other phenomena.