Project 10073 Record: Incident #297 — Fort Smith, Arkansas, 16 April 1949

This document constitutes a formal Project 10073 record regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon sighting that occurred on 16 April 1949 in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The primary witness, a 52-year-old special delivery carrier for the U.S. Post Office, reported observing a round, bright, mirror-like object while stationary in his vehicle at the intersection of 11th Street and Grand Avenue. The observation lasted approximately one minute. The witness described the object as appearing to be the size of a nickel held at arm's length, surrounded by a clear white light. The object maintained a straight and level flight path in a southeasterly direction before disappearing behind a row of trees. The weather at the time was reported as clear and bright with no clouds in the vicinity of the object. The witness, who was not wearing glasses, stated firmly that he did not believe the object was an airplane, though he acknowledged he could not definitively identify it as a disc or a ball. The report includes detailed administrative documentation, including transmittal forms from the Headquarters Fourth Army to the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Intelligence assessments conducted by the military included checks for commercial airline flights and weather balloon releases in the area. Braniff Air Lines flights were noted in the region, but no direct correlation was established. The official conclusion recorded on the project form is simply 'AIRCRAFT.' The document also contains a sketch of the observation site, illustrating the witness's position in his automobile relative to the traffic light, nearby business buildings, and the row of trees where the object disappeared. The witness was interviewed on 21 April 1949, and the investigating officers noted that he possessed an excellent reputation in the community and was considered a credible source. Despite the witness's insistence that the object was not a conventional aircraft, the military investigation concluded that the phenomenon was an aircraft, closing the incident report.