Incident #197 Sighting Report — Richmond, Indiana, November 5, 1948

This document details the investigation of Incident #197, a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported in Richmond, Indiana, on November 5, 1948. A sports writer for The Palladium-Item newspaper observed a bright, white, round object in the eastern sky shortly before 5:00 a.m. The witness described the object as appearing ten times larger than a normal star, flickering, and remaining stationary for approximately 20 minutes. The witness took two photographs of the object, which were subsequently provided to the Air Force for analysis. Captain Robert R. Sneider of the Air Materiel Command conducted a field investigation, which included interviewing the witness, consulting with a professor of astronomy at Earlham College, and verifying flight schedules at local airfields to rule out conventional aircraft or parachute flares. The investigation concluded that the object was almost certainly the planet Venus, which was in a position consistent with the sighting. The report includes various administrative forms, correspondence between the Air Materiel Command and the newspaper, and internal memoranda regarding the investigation's progress and findings. It also contains technical data on weather conditions, wind aloft reports, and evaluations from Project GRUDGE, which categorized the incident as having a high probability of an astronomical explanation. The documentation reflects the systematic approach taken by the Air Force under Project SIGN to investigate reports of unidentified flying objects by gathering witness testimony, physical evidence, and expert analysis.