Unidentified Flying Object Sighting Report — Sacramento, California, 4 August 1965

On 4 August 1965, at approximately 1247Z, a civilian witness located at the Hotel Clunie in Sacramento, California, reported observing an unidentified aerial object. The witness described the object as a silver, glowing ball of light, roughly the size of a dime, which appeared directly overhead and traveled in a straight northwesterly direction. The object was visible for four minutes before disappearing over the horizon. The witness noted that the object had an intense light in the front and left a long vapor trail. A second witness at the same location also observed the object. The report was investigated by the Security and Law Enforcement Division at McClellan Air Force Base. Following the investigation, the object was officially identified as an Atlas missile launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 1243Z. Weather conditions at the time of the sighting were clear with 25 miles of visibility. No physical evidence or photographs were obtained.