Report of Investigation: Unconventional Aircraft Sighting, Bellingham, Washington, 26 July 1949

This report details an investigation into an unconventional aircraft sighting reported by a civilian witness near Bellingham, Washington, on 26 July 1949. The witness, a storekeeper and light plane pilot, observed an object while driving home at approximately 0045 hours. He described the object as egg-shaped, red-orange in color, and stationary at an angle of 15 degrees above the horizon. The object remained visible for approximately ten seconds before fading from view by decreasing in size. The witness noted no sound, smoke, or odor. A joint investigation was conducted by Special Agents of the Office of Special Investigation (OSI). Investigators interviewed the witness, local airport officials, and an astronomy professor from the University of Washington. The investigation revealed that the Bellingham Airport CAA station operated a powerful ceiling light to determine cloud altitude, which could reflect off clouds. Additionally, the planet Jupiter was visible in the southern sky at the time of the sighting, appearing with a yellowish-white to orange light. Radar logs from the 25th Air Division in Everett, Washington, showed no unidentified objects in the area during the relevant timeframe. The witness, who admitted to being extremely exhausted at the time of the sighting, eventually conceded that the object could have been a cloud or another phenomenon, as he could not identify it as anything he had previously seen. The investigation concluded that the sighting was likely attributable to the airport ceiling light reflecting off clouds or the planet Jupiter.