Incident #166 Sighting Report — Los Angeles, California, 30 August 1948

This document details the investigation of Incident #166, a sighting of an unidentified aerial object reported on 30 August 1948 in Los Angeles, California. The primary witness, a Staff Sergeant from the Los Angeles Public Information Office, observed the object at approximately 2000 hours. Using 10x80 power field glasses salvaged from a German 88 mm artillery piece, the witness described the object as silver, larger than a B-29, and shaped like a V-2 rocket. The witness reported that the object traveled from west to east on a straight, level course at an altitude estimated to be well over 20,000 feet, with a speed exceeding 700 MPH, leaving a blue exhaust trail. The report includes various teletypes and internal correspondence between military commands, including the Air Materiel Command and the Air Weather Service. The Air Weather Service noted that a synoptic weather balloon could have been in the vicinity, while the final assessment by the investigating authorities concluded that the object was more likely a bright meteor observed during late twilight rather than a rocket. The document includes checklists, distribution lists, and internal memos regarding the investigation of unidentified aerial phenomena under Project SIGN.