Unconventional Aircraft sighted in vicinity St. John's Nfld., 30 July 50

This document is a formal Report of Investigation (Report No. 24-185) issued by the Headquarters Newfoundland Base Command at Pepperrell Air Force Base, dated 18 August 1950. It details a series of witness accounts regarding an 'unconventional aircraft' sighted in the vicinity of St. John's, Newfoundland, on the evening of 30 July 1950. The investigation, conducted by S/A Ralph O. Robillard, involved interviewing multiple military and civilian personnel who observed an object in the sky between 2000 and 2030 hours. Witnesses described a circular, blunt-headed object, approximately two to three feet in diameter and at least ten feet long, trailing a brilliant stream of flame. Estimates of its altitude ranged from 1,000 to 5,000 feet. Several observers reported that the object appeared to move in a horizontal line with a definite arc before disappearing behind the White Hills transmitter site, with some witnesses noting a sound like a 'distinct thud' or a jeep door closing, leading them to believe it may have struck the ground. Despite these reports, a ground survey conducted by M/Sgt [illegible] and the investigator in the vicinity of the White Hills transmitter site failed to locate any physical material or evidence of a crash. The reports from the witnesses were varied; while some described the object as an unconventional aircraft, others, including a Director of Intelligence at Pepperrell AFB, suggested it resembled a meteor or shooting star, though noting it was too close and too low to be a typical meteor. The document includes transmittal memos from the Newfoundland Base Command to the Air Materiel Command at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, confirming the investigation's completion and the referral of the findings back to the office of origin. The final status of the investigation is recorded as 'Referred Upon Completion to Office of Origin,' with the official remark noting that one observer was positive the object was a meteor. The document is marked as unclassified and includes references to Spot Intelligence Reports dated 31 July, 18 August, and 21 August 1950.