UFO Sighting, Hampton, Virginia, 25 February 1958

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report regarding two UFO sightings reported by a civilian aeronautical research engineer employed by NACA at Langley AFB, Virginia, on the night of February 25, 1958. The observer, a World War II veteran and 1st Lieutenant in the US Army Ordnance, reported seeing a series of lights in a V-formation at approximately 1830 local time, moving from south to north at an estimated 600 knots. A second sighting occurred approximately two hours and 30 minutes later, when the observer, while walking on Newport News Avenue, spotted a similar V-formation of lights directly overhead, moving in a north-westerly direction. The observer described the lights as circular, white with a yellow tinge, and estimated their size to be slightly smaller than a dime held at arm's length. He noted that the lights emitted a diffused glow rather than being pinpoint sources and that they appeared to oscillate within the formation. The observer specifically listened for sound but heard none, noting that he expected a jet aircraft to be audible at that speed and altitude. The report includes detailed supplements covering the observer's background, weather conditions, and records from Base Operations and the CAA Center, which showed no unusual air traffic in the area at the time. An investigation by the Base Inspector, Major Francis T. Soren, concluded that the preliminary investigation revealed nothing to explain the sightings. Handwritten notes on the file suggest that the U.S. Wildlife Service was consulted regarding the possibility of migratory birds, noting that while they do fly in formations at night, they typically do not fly at the high altitudes reported by the observer. The investigator also noted the significance that no other witnesses reported the objects despite them being allegedly directly over Hampton on both occasions.