Incident #222 Sighting Report — Furstenfeldbruck, Germany, 23 November 1948

This document details Incident #222, a sighting of an unidentified aerial object that occurred on 23 November 1948 near Furstenfeldbruck, Germany. At 2220 hours local time, a pilot from the 23rd Fighter Squadron observed a reddish, star-like object in the sky. The object was moving in a southerly direction, turning slightly to the southwest and then to the southeast. The witness, an F-80 pilot, was considered completely reliable, and his account was verified by another pilot present at the time. The object's behavior included horizontal flight, climbing, and circling. Radar tracking by the Racecard DF station initially failed to detect the object, but later confirmed its presence at 27,000 feet, approximately 30 miles south of Munich, and subsequently at 40,000 feet, approximately 40 miles south of Munich. The estimated speed of the object was between 200 and 500 miles per hour. Weather conditions at the time were clear with a shining moon, three miles visibility, and ground fog. The report includes correspondence from the Air Weather Service in Washington, D.C., dated 11 May 1949, which notes that incident summaries 173 through 233 were checked against routine weather-balloon ascents. While one internal note within the file explicitly states that the object was 'most likely not a balloon,' the official summary concludes that the object might have been a balloon with a light on it. The document also includes an index of incidents from the Project Grudge report, where Incident #222 is categorized under 'Non-astronomical, with no explanation evident.' The final assessment from the Wing Intelligence Office at Furstenfeldbruck Air Force Base, signed by Captain L. H. Cormack, indicates that subsequent investigations yielded no further information and that it was unlikely more would be obtained.