Incident #220 Sighting Report — San Francisco, California, 29 November 1948

This document is a formal Report of Investigation concerning Incident #220, a sighting of an unidentified aerial object reported on 29 November 1948 in San Francisco, California. The witness, a science teacher at Francisco Junior High School and an Air Force veteran, reported observing a yellow, spherical object at approximately 2113 hours. According to the witness, the object moved from the east toward the north-northwest at a very high speed, emitting a steady glow without trailing fire or light. The witness observed the object for approximately seven seconds using 4x binoculars, noting that it appeared to change course from a due north heading to a north-northwest heading before disappearing behind a low fog bank over the Golden Gate Bridge. The investigation, conducted by Special Agent Armin F. Herold, Jr. of the Office of Special Investigations (OSI), included interviews with the witness and checks with local law enforcement, the FBI, and commercial airlines. No other witnesses were identified, and no reports of unusual activity were found in the files of the San Francisco Police Department or local aviation authorities. The investigator noted that the witness was near-sighted and was not wearing his glasses during the observation, though he was considered reliable and of above-average intelligence. The final assessment by the investigator suggested that the object was likely a bolide, noting that the witness, despite his background in science, may have been confused by the terminology. The report was processed under Project Sign and subsequently forwarded to the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for further review. The document includes various administrative correspondence, including a request for investigation and a letter of transmittal from the Fourth Air Force, confirming that the investigation was closed with no further leads.