Project 10073 Record: Sighting at Greater Pittsburgh Airport, 30 March 1950

This document comprises an Air Intelligence Information Report (IR-88-50) dated 11 April 1950, concerning a sighting of an unidentified flying object at Greater Pittsburgh Airport on 30 March 1950. The report details an observation made at 2215Z by two military personnel, 1st Lt Edward A. Fioretti and Pfc Paul E. Runyan, both of the 2239th AFRTC. The witnesses described a round, white object, approximately 50 to 60 feet in diameter, which appeared flat on the bottom and shaped like a parachute. The object was initially observed at an altitude between 2,000 and 2,500 feet. Over a period of approximately five minutes, the object hovered and then climbed to an altitude of 20,000 feet, moving toward the East at an estimated speed of 50 to 60 miles per hour. The witnesses reported that the object emitted no sound and left no trail, though it appeared to have an exhaust flame in its center. Weather conditions at the time were reported as clear with 10-mile visibility. The official conclusion reached by the Intelligence Division of Hq MATS, approved by Lt Colonel Joseph G. Mahar, was that the sighting was consistent with a weather balloon and that the observers had overestimated the size and performance characteristics of the object. The report is part of a larger compilation of seven alleged sightings forwarded by various MATS Flight Service Center units during March 1950.