Report on Unidentified Flying Objects — Columbia, Tennessee, 20 May 1956

On 20 May 1956, at approximately 2315Z, a group of observers consisting of three teenagers and one adult Ground Observer Corps (GOC) volunteer reported sighting unidentified objects near Columbia, Tennessee. The witnesses described the objects as oblong, flat, and circular, numbering four or more, and possessing a silvery metallic appearance. The objects were observed hovering between two banks of clouds at an estimated altitude of 20,000 to 30,000 feet. The witnesses reported that the objects moved up and down and sideways, with sunlight reflecting off their metallic surfaces. The observation lasted for approximately three to four minutes and was aided by the use of binoculars of unknown power. The report notes that a jet aircraft flew over the area approximately eight minutes after the sighting. The incident was reported to the 35th Air Division, which noted that the report was not immediately relayed to the Filter Center Commander. The official evaluation of the sighting, conducted under Project 10073, concluded that the description of the objects was consistent with a cluster of balloons. There was no radar contact recorded in the area at the time of the sighting, and no physical evidence was recovered.