Special Inquiry - Unconventional Aircraft, Scottsbluff, Nebraska

This document is a formal Report of Investigation conducted by the 13th District Office of Special Investigation (OSI) at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, regarding an Unconventional Aircraft sighting. The investigation was initiated following a newspaper clipping from the Scottsbluff Daily Star-Herald dated 27 July 1949. On 26 July 1949, at approximately 1610 hours, a physician and one other witness observed an unidentified object while driving south on the edge of Mitchell, Nebraska. The witnesses described the object as a metallic-silver, saucer-shaped craft, approximately 25 feet in diameter and three to four feet thick. The object was observed for three minutes at an estimated altitude of 5,000 to 7,000 feet, traveling at a speed of 400 to 500 MPH on a southwest course. The witnesses reported that the object appeared to be whirling and exhibited a slight dipping motion from side to side while maintaining a level flight path. The object eventually disappeared behind a line of hills. The weather conditions were reported as clear with light scattered clouds and a visibility of 40 miles. Special Agent William R. Oosting conducted the investigation, which included a site visit, the creation of a map of the area, and a detailed 'Check Sheet' for unconventional aircraft. The investigator noted that the primary witness, a physician and surgeon, was considered to have excellent reliability and was of better than average intelligence. Despite the detailed description provided by the witnesses, the official conclusion reached by the investigation was that the object was an 'AIRCRAFT.' The report includes various enclosures, such as a map of the area, a sketch of the object, and the completed check sheet. The document is marked as unclassified and was distributed to the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.