Incident #111 — Philippine Islands — 1 April 1948

On April 1, 1948, at 0955 hours, 1st Lt. Robert W. Meyers of the 67th Fighter Squadron, 18th Fighter Group, was leading a flight of four F-47 aircraft over the Central Philippines. While flying at an altitude of 1,500 feet, Lt. Meyers sighted an unidentified object approximately three miles away at an estimated altitude of 1,000 feet. He described the object as a silver, half-moon-shaped craft resembling a flying wing, measuring approximately 30 feet in wingspan and 20 feet in length, with a turtle back and an indistinct dorsal fin. Upon attempting to intercept the object, Lt. Meyers initiated a left turn. The object reportedly turned on a similar course, leveled out on a 270-degree heading, and accelerated rapidly, disappearing from sight within five seconds. No sound was heard, and no exhaust trails were observed. Lt. Meyers was the sole witness to the event, as his radio was inoperative, preventing him from alerting his wingmen, and their own maneuvers precluded them from observing the object. The incident was reported to the 18th Fighter Group and subsequently forwarded through the Thirteenth Air Force to the Air Materiel Command. An evaluation by the Far East Air Forces, dated April 15, 1948, concluded that the object was 'probably a bird.' This assessment was supported by an investigator who noted that the description provided by the witness was contradictory and that at a distance of three miles, a 20-foot object would be at the limit of human visual resolution, making it difficult to discern specific features like a 'turtle back.' The incident was later categorized under Project Grudge as one of the reports that could be explained through psychological factors or misidentification.