Incident #154 Sighting Report — Columbus, Ohio, 2 August 1948

This document is an official Agent Report from the 109th CIC Detachment, dated 16 August 1948, concerning a sighting of an unconventional aircraft in Columbus, Ohio, on 2 August 1948. The report details the testimony of two witnesses, an attorney and his wife, who observed a single, unusual object in the sky at approximately 1945 hours. The witnesses described the object as having a gray-black perimeter with a transparent center, appearing to be 20 to 30 feet in diameter. The object traveled from north to south at a slow, constant speed of approximately 15 miles per hour, at an altitude estimated between 1500 and 2000 feet. During the 10 to 15 minutes of observation, the object reportedly changed shape multiple times, transitioning between a parallelogram, a circle, and an oblong form. The witnesses also reported that the object hesitated momentarily and emitted a thin trail of smoke from its rear. The weather conditions were described as excellent, with clear skies and no haze. The report includes sketches drawn by the witnesses illustrating the object's changing shape. The Air Materiel Command (AMC) evaluated the incident and concluded that the object was a research balloon. The AMC suggested that the reported 'trail of smoke' was likely a misinterpretation of trailing equipment seen during a momentary glimpse. The document also contains internal correspondence regarding Project SIGN, noting that the project was responsible for the collection and interpretation of data related to unidentified flying objects. It includes lists of incidents evaluated by the project and instructions for forwarding reports to the Air Weather Service for potential identification as meteorological balloons. An investigator's note included in the file reflects on the similarity between this sighting and an object the investigator had seen as a youth, which he had previously dismissed as an unusual atmospheric phenomenon, such as a traveling air pocket. The report is marked as unclassified and includes instructions for periodic downgrading.