Project Grudge Incident #375 — Dayton and Urbana, Ohio, 28 June 1949

This document is a formal Report of Investigation under Project Grudge, dated 11 July 1949, concerning an aerial sighting that occurred on 28 June 1949 in the vicinity of Dayton and Urbana, Ohio. The investigation was prompted by a report in the Dayton, Ohio Journal Herald. Multiple witnesses, including a U.S. Army Liaison pilot flying an L-17 aircraft, reported observing a bright, fireball-like object with a trailing tail moving from west to east at approximately 1745 hours. The pilot, who was flying at 5,000 feet, initially suspected a rocket-powered guided missile but subsequently identified it as a meteor-like body. Other witnesses, including a welder and an insurance agent, described the object as a ball of fire with a long, incandescent tail, some noting a hissing sound similar to escaping compressed air. The object was observed to travel in a straight line with a slight decline before disappearing. The investigation, conducted by the 5th District Office of Special Investigations, concluded that the phenomenon was a meteor. The report includes detailed witness statements, incident summaries, and administrative correspondence closing the case file.