Project 10073 Record: Incident #358, #358A, #358B, #358C — Tucson, Arizona, 8 May 1949

This document is a collection of reports and correspondence regarding multiple sightings of an unidentified aerial phenomenon in Tucson, Arizona, on 8 May 1949. The file contains individual incident reports (numbered 358, 358A, 358B, and 358C) detailing observations made by different witnesses, including a truck driver, an electrical store employee, and an airman from the 43rd Bomb Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The witnesses described a round, white or silver object that appeared to be the size of a tennis ball or a thumbnail at arm's length, though one witness estimated it to be 40 to 75 feet in diameter. The object was observed drifting, then performing rapid climbs at 45-degree angles, and in some instances, making 90-degree turns. The duration of the sightings ranged from 10 to 20 minutes. Witnesses consistently reported that the object made no sound, had no visible windows, holes, or control surfaces, and reflected sunlight. One witness noted that the object appeared to flutter. The reports were investigated by the 17th District Office of the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) at Kirtland Air Force Base. Despite the investigation, no definitive explanation was found, although the initial project record for Incident #358 lists the conclusion as 'BALLOON.' The document includes a map of the Tucson area, narrative summaries from the witnesses, and correspondence from Lt. Col. Doyle Rees to the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, forwarding the reports for further review. The witnesses were generally characterized by the interrogators as reliable and steady. The document also notes that there were no weather balloons or other aircraft in the immediate vicinity that could account for the sightings, and no physical evidence was recovered.