Unidentified Flying Object Report (UFO) — Redlands, California, 4 February 1968

On February 4, 1968, at approximately 1930 PST, a civilian witness in Redlands, California, reported observing a round object with 6 to 10 red and orange lights. The witness, identified as Albert Tetzlaff, a police department custodian, described the object as producing a high-pitched, oscillating sound similar to that heard on the television show 'The Invaders.' Tetzlaff also reported a tingling sensation that caused his hair to stand on end, which Dr. Seff of the University of Redlands suggested might imply an electromagnetic force. The sighting lasted approximately 6 to 7 minutes before the object disappeared behind trees. Initial reports of the incident were handled by the University of Colorado's UFO Early Warning Coordinators System, which prompted an investigation by Dr. Seff and his associates. Major Eugene J. Sacco of the 63d Air Base Group later conducted a formal Air Force investigation. The official conclusion reached by Major Sacco was that the sighting was likely a combination of two terrestrial events. First, a San Gorgonio Search and Rescue team vehicle was operating in the area at the time of the sighting, using an electronic siren that produced a high-pitched whine consistent with the witness's auditory report. Second, a light plane arrived at the nearby Tri-City airport at 1915 PST, and its flight path was determined to be similar to the trajectory of the reported UFO. No unusual radar contacts were recorded by March AFB, and no weather balloons were released in the area. The report includes a UFO worksheet and local newspaper articles from February 6 and 7, 1968, which discuss the possibility that the 'UFO' was a misidentification of the rescue vehicle and the light aircraft.