Project 10073 Record: Incident #381 - Huntsville, Ohio, 11 June 1949

This document is a collection of records pertaining to a UFO sighting reported on June 11, 1949, near Huntsville, Ohio. The primary witness, an employee of the Standard Oil Fuel Oil Department, was driving on routes 33 and 117 when he observed a silver, disc-shaped object at approximately 5:20 PM. The witness described the object as having a high-polished, mirror-like surface and noted that it appeared to have fin-like projections on its lower side, similar to the flippers of a seal. The object was estimated to be 20 feet in diameter and was observed at an altitude of roughly 200 feet. The witness reported that the object approached at a high rate of speed, dove toward the highway, and then performed a sharp, square-like turn before heading north and west. The entire observation lasted no more than two minutes. The witness, who was wearing polaroid glasses at the time, initially feared the object might strike his vehicle. After the object disappeared, the witness checked the area for any signs of sound, smoke, or flames, but found none. He subsequently stopped at a local filling station to ask if anyone had heard an airplane, but received a negative response. The incident was reported to the Ohio State Patrol on June 16, 1949, and subsequently forwarded to the District Intelligence Officer in Columbus and then to the District Intelligence Officer in Cleveland. The official conclusion reached by the military authorities was that the object was an aircraft, noting that there was no data presented to indicate it could not have been one. The documentation includes the original sighting report, internal government memoranda, and correspondence between the military and the witness, confirming that the report was incorporated into the official study of such phenomena. The interrogating officer noted that the witness appeared to be of sound character and intelligence, despite his initial reluctance to report the sighting due to fear of being perceived as irrational.