Unidentified Flying Object Report — Lamesa, Texas, 3 October 1956

This document is a formal Unidentified Flying Object Report filed by the 688th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas, regarding an incident that occurred on October 3, 1956. The report details a sighting by two crew members, Captain William A. Yorkers and 2nd Lt. Ronald D. Corbet of the 1739 Ferrying Squadron, who were flying a C-54 aircraft at an altitude of 6,000 feet. The observers reported seeing a bright, metallic, gold-colored object that appeared round or oblong, roughly the size of a dime at arm's length. The object was observed for only one second as it passed directly overhead, with the view being obstructed by the aircraft's canopy. The observers noted an exhaust trail associated with the object, though they specified it was not a contrail. The report indicates that there were no maneuvers performed by the object and no radar contact was made. Weather conditions at the time were clear. Major Paul J. Quinlan, the commander of the 688th AC&W Squadron, submitted the report, noting that an effort had been made to correlate the sighting with known flight plans and weather balloons, but the effort was unsuccessful. The official conclusion reached by the squadron was that there was insufficient data for analysis due to the extremely brief duration of the observation.