Project 10073 Record — Sighting of Unidentified Flying Object, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1 September 1949

This document is a formal Report of Investigation conducted by the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations regarding a sighting of an unidentified flying object near Knoxville, Tennessee, on 1 September 1949. Two witnesses, aged 18 and 14, reported observing a disc-shaped, flat object while camping at Sharps Ridge. They estimated the object's altitude to be between 40,000 and 50,000 feet, noting that it traveled at a high rate of speed from the northeast to the southwest in level, constant flight. The witnesses described the object as having a metallic appearance similar to aircraft construction, with no visible exhaust, vapor trails, or audible sound. The observation lasted approximately three minutes. The investigating officer, Special Agent Arthur J. Dale, interviewed the witnesses and noted that they appeared intelligent and answered questions without hesitation. The investigation included a comprehensive review of weather data, specifically winds aloft reports from the U.S. Weather Bureau at McGee-Tyson Airport in Knoxville, as well as data from Chattanooga, Roanoke, Spartanburg, Greensboro, Atlanta, and Nashville. This was done to determine if the object could have been a weather balloon. The report concludes that the object was an aircraft, though the specific nature of the aircraft is not detailed beyond the classification. The investigation was officially closed on 3 October 1949, with all logical investigative leads considered completed. The file includes various tables of weather data, including altitude, direction, and wind speed in knots, recorded at different times throughout the day on 1 September 1949. The document is marked as unclassified and was distributed to the Commanding General of the Third Army and the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.