Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Incident #138 Sighting Report — Columbus, Ohio, 8 July 1948
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AI-Generated Summary
A 1948 sighting report of two cigar-shaped objects over Columbus, Ohio, which was officially dismissed by ATIC as aircraft distorted by atmospheric conditions.
This document details Incident #138, a sighting reported by a female civilian in Columbus, Ohio, on July 8, 1948. The witness observed two objects, described as cigar or torpedo-shaped and silver in color, moving from the northeast to the north. The observation lasted for four minutes at an estimated altitude of 7,000 feet. The witness utilized M-3 6x30 binoculars to aid in the observation. The objects were reported to be 'bobbing up and down.' The official evaluation, conducted by ATIC, dismissed the sighting as having no astronomical character. The investigator concluded that the objects were aircraft and attributed the reported 'bobbing' motion to a 'seeing' effect, specifically the distortion of the image by air currents. The document also includes an index of evaluations attributed to Dr. Hynek, which categorizes various incident numbers based on their probability of being astronomical or non-astronomical in nature.
The "bobbing up and down" can be explained as a "seeing" effect -- that is, distortion of the image by air currents.
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Official Assessment
It is the present investigator's opinion that the objects were aircraft. The "bobbing up and down" can be explained as a "seeing" effect -- that is, distortion of the image by air currents.
The investigator concluded that the objects were aircraft and that the reported movement was an optical distortion caused by air currents.
Key Persons
- Dr HynekEvaluator