Report of Information on Unconventional Aircraft — 31 May 1951

This document is a formal report from the 116th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Geiger Field, Spokane, Washington, dated 31 May 1951. It details an observation of an unconventional object made on 29 May 1951 at 0918 hours. The object was described by four witnesses—two pilots and two airmen—as an elliptical, flat, light sun-tan colored object that moved slowly over the field from the west-northwest in a 'wallowing' manner. The object was estimated to be at an altitude of 2500 to 3000 feet. It hovered over the field before ascending rapidly at a 60-degree angle, disappearing from sight within approximately 20 seconds after the ascent began. The total duration of the sighting was about four minutes. The report explicitly states that there was no noise or exhaust associated with the object, and no aircraft were in the air over the field at the time. Radar observations were not attempted. A second, related sighting is mentioned involving a passenger in a T-6 aircraft approximately 40 miles southwest of Geiger Field at 0943 hours, who observed a circular, glistening object high in the sky to the southeast. The station weather officer provided detailed wind data and noted that while there were towering cumulus clouds over nearby mountains, there were no clouds directly over the field. The officer expressed skepticism that the object could have been a piece of paper caught in convective currents. Despite this, the official Project 10073 record card concludes that the incident was a balloon sighting.