Incident #259 Sighting Report — Little Rock, Arkansas, 25 February 1949

This document is a formal intelligence report concerning a sighting of an unconventional aircraft near Little Rock, Arkansas, on 25 February 1949. The report, designated as Incident No. 259, details the observations of a civilian couple and a third witness who reported seeing a flat, round, disc-shaped object between 30 and 60 feet in diameter. The object was observed for approximately 30 minutes between 0030 and 0100 hours. According to the witnesses, the object was highly maneuverable, capable of stopping and reversing direction, and at one point ascended rapidly for several thousand feet before returning to an altitude estimated between 10,000 and 12,000 feet. The witnesses reported that the object was outlined by radiation or luminescence and, at one point, emitted a vertical beam of light toward the ground. No sound was reported, and no exhaust trail was observed. The investigation, conducted by the Branch Intelligence Office in Little Rock and forwarded through the 112th CIC Detachment and Fourth Army headquarters to the Air Materiel Command, included a review of local weather data and commercial flight schedules. The investigators noted that the witnesses were of good character and that their accounts were consistent. The report also mentions that a photograph of the surrounding terrain was taken from the point of observation. The military authorities requested further information regarding local weather balloon releases and the presence of searchlights or beacons in the area. The report concludes with a note that no soil samples were obtained and that the witnesses did not seek publicity. A reference is also made to a rocket launch from White Sands Proving Ground, New Mexico, which occurred on the same date, though the distance between the two locations was approximately 800 miles.