Project 10073 Record: Incident #413 - Spokane, Washington, 26 July 1949

On July 26, 1949, at approximately 2020 hours, a civilian commercial pilot in Spokane, Washington, reported observing eight disc-shaped objects. The witness, who was at his home, was initially alerted by a sound he described as similar to a formation of jet aircraft. Upon going outside, he observed a B-29 aircraft flying from east to west. He estimated the eight objects were flying at an altitude of 14,500 feet, approximately 1,000 feet above the B-29, and were traveling in the same direction at a significantly higher speed. The witness described the objects as being larger than the B-29. The report was subsequently forwarded through Spokane Radio and the Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center to the McChord Flight Service Center. The pilot of the B-29 (AF-7742) was contacted regarding the incident and stated that he was flying at 13,500 feet and had not observed anything unusual. The official conclusion reached by the investigating authorities was that the objects were likely a group of birds flying at a lower altitude, which, due to perspective, appeared to be large objects traveling at high speed and altitude. The witness, whose name is redacted in the provided documents, asserted that he had good vision and had not been drinking at the time of the observation.