Project 10073 Record: Sighting of 30 November 1950, South-Central Alaska

This document is a compilation of reports regarding a celestial phenomenon observed over South-Central Alaska on the evening of 30 November 1950. Numerous witnesses, including military personnel, pilots, and civilians, reported seeing a brilliant blue-white flash of light at approximately 1950 hours. The flash was followed by a series of explosions or rumbling sounds, which were heard by residents in Anchorage and surrounding areas. The reports describe the object as traveling from the Southeast toward the Northwest, with some observers noting a tear-drop shape and a 'cottony-looking' tail. One witness, a former Navy aerographer, provided a detailed account of observing multiple objects in formation through a theodolite, noting that they traveled at high speeds, made sharp 90-degree turns, and eventually disappeared toward the ocean. Despite these complex descriptions, official military intelligence reports from the Alaskan Air Command concluded that the event was most likely a meteor or meteoroid entering the Earth's atmosphere. The reports note that radar contact was generally negative, though one account mentioned base radar tracking objects at altitudes exceeding 100,000 feet. The document includes various witness statements, including those from the University of Alaska, the Civil Aeronautics Administration, and local newspaper interviews. The official stance remained that the phenomenon was a natural event, despite the conflicting and detailed accounts provided by observers.