Incident No. 416 - Sighting Report, Portland, Oregon, 30 July 1949

On July 30, 1949, between 2100 and 2130 hours, a series of sightings of an unidentified aerial object occurred in the vicinity of Portland, Troutdale, and Mt. Hood, Oregon. The object was observed by multiple witnesses, including a Northwest Airlines pilot, a co-pilot, a CAA tower operator, and a civilian instructor pilot. The object was described as displaying two red lights and one white light, which witnesses noted was non-standard for aircraft. The object hovered in the area for approximately 30 minutes, during which time it appeared to drop two white flares. When a Northwest Airlines pilot attempted to intercept the object, it reportedly turned 50 degrees and pulled away with ease. Portland Tower, believing the object might be an aircraft in distress, stacked four incoming airliners over the airport. The object's speed was estimated between 0 and 210 MPH, and its altitude between 2,000 and 6,000 feet. A B-29 aircraft (AF 7758) was in the vicinity at 2130 hours, but the pilot confirmed he did not drop flares, did not circle Portland, and saw nothing unusual. The report concludes that the object remained unidentified.