Incident #160 Sighting Report — Dravosburg, Pennsylvania, 4 July 1948

This document details Incident #160, a report of an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on July 4, 1948, in Dravosburg, Pennsylvania. A civilian witness and his wife reported seeing a light in the sky that resembled a star in color and size. The object was observed at approximately 11:15 P.M. and exhibited unusual flight characteristics, including hovering, moving across the sky, and stopping three times before disappearing. The witness explicitly stated that the object made no noise and that he believed it was neither a star nor an airplane, as neither could perform the maneuvers he observed. The witness also referenced a separate report from July 8, 1948, regarding two women in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, who reported seeing a 'big silver plate' zooming overhead in the direction of Kennywood Park. The military investigation, conducted under Project SIGN, concluded that there was no astronomical explanation for the sighting. The evaluating officer, Lt. Col. James J. Hausman, suggested that the date of the sighting—Independence Day—might imply the object was a lighted balloon or a 'county fair' type of balloon. The report also notes the proximity of the sighting to the Allegheny County airport and questions whether any pilot balloons or small aircraft were in the area at the time. The document includes a hand-drawn sketch by the witness illustrating the object's flight path, including the points where it stopped. The file also contains correspondence from the Air Intelligence Requirements Division to the Air Material Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, confirming that the civilian communication had been forwarded for evaluation. The incident was later indexed in the Project GRUDGE report as a case where evidence was insufficient to provide a definitive explanation.