Incident #248 Sighting Report — Dayton, Ohio, 10 February 1949

This document comprises a series of official ATIC (Air Technical Intelligence Center) sighting reports regarding an unidentified aerial object observed on 10 February 1949. The incident, designated as Incident #248, involved two military pilots, Captain Roger J. Groseclose and 1st Lieutenant Ray W. Adams, both stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. At approximately 2032 hours, while flying at an altitude of 7,900 feet with an indicated heading of 340 degrees, the pilots observed a bright, round object. The object was described as being larger than a star, initially appearing as a brilliant white light with a blue glow at the bottom. As it descended, the object's color reportedly faded to orange. The pilots noted that the object left a trail approximately five times its own length, which tapered to a point. The duration of the sighting was brief, lasting only five seconds. During this time, the object maintained a straight, gradual descent before breaking into two distinct parts and subsequently disintegrating. The observers noted that the object disappeared before reaching the cloud layer below them. Weather conditions at the time were reported as very bright moonlight above an overcast layer, with broken clouds between 2,000 and 3,000 feet in the northwest. Both observers were interviewed on 11 February 1949 and were characterized by the interrogator as 'completely reliable.' The document includes detailed sketches of the flight path relative to the observers' aircraft, confirming the object's trajectory and the observers' relative positions. The final assessment recorded on the ATIC form identifies the object as an 'Astro (meteor).' The report also contains a 'Guide to Investigation' section, which outlines the standard procedures for documenting radar sightings, weather conditions, and physical evidence, indicating the rigorous, albeit standardized, approach taken by the Air Force in investigating such phenomena during this period.