Report of Information on Flying Discs - Incident #145

This document details a sighting of approximately 20 unidentified objects by personnel from the 72nd Reconnaissance Squadron (VLR) on July 9, 1948, near Fielding Lake, Washington. The observers, identified as 1st Lieutenants, reported seeing the objects at approximately 1205 AST. The weather was described as bright and sunny with limited cloud cover. The objects were described as grayish-black, dot-sized, and either spheroid or disc-shaped. They were observed flying in a group formation, moving from WNW to ESE at an estimated speed exceeding 500 MPH and an altitude of 5,000 feet or more. The witnesses noted that the objects 'jockeyed back and forth' in a manner resembling a shotgun blast pattern. A loud roaring sound, initially attributed to wind in the trees, sharpened into a buzz as the objects passed. No exhaust trails were visible, and the entire observation lasted five seconds or less. The report includes a sketch of the formation. Official evaluations within the document, specifically associated with Project Grudge and Dr. Hynek, initially suggested the objects might be distant aircraft or migrating birds due to the lack of exhaust trails and luminosity. However, subsequent handwritten annotations on the report definitively categorize the observation as 'INSECTS'. The document is classified as a sighting report and includes an incident index from the Project Grudge report, which categorizes various incidents by their potential explanations, such as astronomical, balloons, or miscellaneous phenomena.