Project 10073 Record: Sighting in Honolulu, Hawaii, 20 July 1949

This document contains a Project 10073 record and associated correspondence regarding a sighting of two 'flying saucers' over Oahu, Hawaii, on 20 July 1949. A local housewife reported seeing two balloon-like objects between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m. She described the first object moving in a westerly direction, followed by a second object that approached from the south, circled the first, and then both moved westward together until they disappeared from view. The report includes investigations by the U.S. Weather Bureau, the 31st Weather Squadron, and Fleet Weather Central. While the U.S. Weather Bureau official initially stated that the witness could not have seen one of their weather balloons due to time and position, Fleet Weather Central confirmed that a radiosonde (weather balloon) was released at 10:25 a.m. from Pearl Harbor. The radiosonde was described as a greyish balloon with a silver box attached by an eight-foot wire, which could reflect the sun and swing in a circular manner. The investigating officers concluded that the objects were balloons. The report provides a detailed analysis of wind conditions at various altitudes to explain the movement of the objects, suggesting that a leaking balloon could have descended and circled the first, creating the appearance of the reported maneuver. The witness remained adamant that she had seen two distinct objects, but the official conclusion remained that the sighting was of balloons.