UFO Observed at Dillingham, Alaska

This Air Intelligence Information Report, dated June 21, 1960, details a UFO sighting that occurred on May 20, 1960, near Dillingham, Alaska. The report, authored by Captain Thomas M. Conrow of the Hq 10th Air Division (Def), serves as an amplification of previous communications regarding the incident. According to the report, a group of native observers witnessed a metallic, silver, circular object, described as football-shaped in cross-section, hovering near the ground. The object was estimated to be 20 to 25 feet in diameter and 10 to 12 feet thick. Witnesses reported that the object possessed two flexible tubes or flaps, a red band, and a semi-circular whirling device on its bottom. The object's behavior was described as moving slowly, hovering over the villages of Clarks Point and Ekuk, and then ascending rapidly to an estimated 8,000 feet. During the ascent, the object produced a whirring, sucking sound, which was powerful enough to lift dead grass and potentially a five-gallon fuel tin from the ground. The investigation involved interviews conducted by SFC Ralph Sorensen of the Alaska National Guard, who spoke to the witnesses through an interpreter. While the report acknowledges that a weather balloon was in the area at the time, the investigating officer concluded that the object was not a commonplace balloon or airplane. The report highlights that the witnesses, while difficult to assess for reliability, provided consistent accounts that were not evasive. Despite the lack of radar confirmation or physical evidence beyond the reported suction effects, the intelligence assessment maintains that there is no logical explanation for the sighting. The document includes figures illustrating the object's appearance and its flight path, and it emphasizes that the witnesses were considered accurate and reliable observers of unusual occurrences in the Alaskan area.