UFO Sighting Report — Klamath Falls, Oregon, 22 September 1964

On 22 September 1964, at 1315Z, a sighting of an unidentified aerial object was reported at Kingsley Field, Klamath Falls, Oregon. The primary witnesses were Captain James Amborn of the 322nd Fighter Interceptor Squadron and a control tower operator. The object was described as an elliptical, bluish-white light with no definite outline, accompanied by a 30-mile-long contrail resembling the wake of a boat. The object was observed for approximately three minutes, moving initially northwest before shifting toward the south, where it eventually faded at 30 degrees elevation. Additional reports were received from civilians in Arcata, California, and from A1C Robert W. Walstrom at Klamath AFS, California, who described the object as a starlike light with a long, fan-shaped tail of glowing smoke. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force intelligence staff was that the phenomenon was a missile contrail, specifically an Atlas D. While no specific test activity was confirmed in the immediate area, the report noted that several sites located to the south were capable of such launch activities.