Unidentified Flying Object Near Lyle, Washington 30 March 1953

This document is an intelligence report (IR-238-53) regarding a sighting of an unidentified flying object near Lyle, Washington, on 30 March 1953. A civilian observer reported seeing a bright-colored object with a red trail at 1905 PST. The object was observed visually from the ground using 8-power glasses. It moved from the northeast of Lyle to a position over Rowena, Oregon, before vanishing. The report notes that the object did not disappear behind clouds. The weather in the area was characterized by scattered clouds with bases at approximately 4,000 feet and unrestricted visibility. Winds aloft were recorded at various altitudes. The report explicitly mentions that no radar contact was confirmed, though it notes that the lack of radar observation does not definitively rule out the presence of an object, suggesting that radar surveillance in the area was inadequate. The investigation concluded that the object was likely a Moby Dick weather balloon launched from Chehalis, Washington, located 114 miles northwest of the sighting. The report suggests that the balloon's trajectory and the observer's use of glasses could account for the object's appearance and subsequent disappearance. The document includes correspondence from Dr. J. Allen Hynek of The Ohio State University, who reviewed the case and concurred that the Lyle, Washington, sighting was likely a balloon. The report is classified as secret and includes instructions for periodic downgrading and eventual declassification.