1. D A -:;-e T IME CROUP 3. SOURC E Civil.ia J'l 5 . L ENGTH O F OB'iEH'I . .X TIU N 30 o cond3 6. TYPE OF OBSEFl'/A fiClN Gro11r.d-V isu.:tl 1 ' CGURSE l ",f. P h Y Sl r.:AL E'l , DE NCE PROJECT 10073 RECORD Los Angeles, Californi a 10. CONC L USION 11. Of~ I E F SUMMARY A~m ANALYSIS fjb~ie rrf'"!r si::lht.ed what. 1.J:p~ared t o b '! fl.n alwriir.um-color~d, ruttnrl, t'lat. di3c. I t 1~t 'tm.s thick i n t.hr"! center t.aJ.~erir.-;; .. 0 r i.ng to the tf. i f.:1.3~r..:r t.h.tn a jF!t.. It. left a very thin d<1c:f.: Lt\'lil which dis~i..}.-~c,;;d i tul'l-:'1 tu r, ly. 'i'hiJ cb j :! c t refl ect. ed L h J : ;nn ' 3 ro.y;;, and it .1! ~ n :d to h.:.1v~ i:.:lny rroj~ct.ions t't~ Jm Lt.. It follo..;ed ~ ..i::C .d t'<ti ~llt.. co,JrGe ;:,nd it s:!~f.'l~d to be r.)l,atLn;;~ H.:AOQUA~rERS UNITED STATES AI~ FORCE THE INSPECTOR GEN ERAL OrFICE O F SPF.CIAl INVESTIGA TIONS REPORT ,\.AADE BY REPORT MADE AT FLYDJG DISCS OrFICE O F ORIGIN 3'?ECL\.L INQUIRY DISTRIBUTION ':'nl:J inv~.:3t l g :1t ion '1m3 req .1ested by HeJ3.dauartars Thr wi t.n~::331'3d w~re intarr:tewed; Mr L tr... and Mr. All a!~eed that ~hdy had 3ean a n obJect which resembl:ld 3. d!..3e, flyln~ 1 northwest c ourse :l.t a hia;h altitude '.>1f~t r]lQndal~, Clliforn1a, on 8 April 1949, at a.oproJd- mat~l.r 1..4.00 t1>'u9. Vi.3ibillty was excell.ant and th a skies Wl!lr~ c 1. J1.<Jldd~. No military or c i. vil"iUt L:t.i ::-craft aer'S sch~dui,~d in t-he vicinit.7 and military unlt.a .J.ncl r_!i'ti..lian ~;a 'HH.rCh )r pani. 'lation s ::-enort.ed that nO 1.\.er,Ul t~sting de vi c..,!t ha:l be~n released a t the tirne that t.h s .a~ rial o b j ; r. J .J-! ~crib ed ::s 3. d i sc) .Afa3 oos~rved ACTION CO PY FO~WAROEO TO FILE STAMP Commandjng ''fright-Pat tersa1 !echn1.cal c:.~:r ompi(T ,;onuid.urad hl. -;hl.;t ~1-:ablu, Ye :1 .;:: o:orcd -!ira:-tcr r!r:.. -ror er.tpl 'TjlX! "..:-;! ani I1ocr-.!a~-uu .r.;v.ri:.z~nt. -:ras :;nterricwod on :...? ::.."l; :~9. 1.n1!0leu ei.t7 .. 1aa cea~ on a f'..e~"l rw:ct ';o .:1 :mnll tool. ~!~'<i :uxi .3 ~:..?~.roxbat.el;r cno-i.'Ul~t .d.le horth ot ~:.be 7XJsi:,icn ccc..lp:l.!.ld b ':'fr.en .~ -a.:.""'...410:J~kffl the tll~t '.>.! :J~ oUjcct. da3Cn!:ed ..1u a u;.~J:L.'rlg ..ti~c~' ,:C.CJ3red -: at ::~ ~ no trn-!.1 ,: .:a tll3 object trha.t.::Joover~ :un t o h::J tu.~ ~b a7J?3ar"~d to oo has ~n uop.l...)~ ";:;y ~oo Lo.s . lus ,;i~ .:~k .:1nd :~crua~icn .:Jotn:Z';t~m; -;:;;r ,1. ::-~ L i:~bl emplq)'6. u. .. .,.li:ri on i:.J -.m .rud a.nrl :;e ~lnclo bis '.)OOe:t"tatials ~th the ::~'1..~ ,, .'L 1m ted education, but hu uas ;eey oince:z'a :L~ hi3 r ~Y 1949 regard1.~ h1:s o of the object dastnbed . J:J a. tt!J.r....ns; di~c. poo;it.t~!l lCaB oear t ha"t. o.! ecsme auaro of ~he ot)jcct 111:.0:0. ........ ~ up and tol1oued :aze Ul thts oo.;act. ot.or;r '21th the othoru ~ rega.c,--d :.o a.lti!turle, d!.l-ec:ticn aiza., ~ am speed, Out :rta that tho ob;oot, ap1:eared t.o r.d.:a to !le tumi..~g OVP..r vrl over, in ~.he J;lt~ :ltll1ner that a coin ~1ich had ceen 1ll::-tal into !.oo .1i.r. He 3.l3o de~ed oo~i..~ ::ur1 of :m.y ooxt ~ c.t..e surtace .;;:l 'tl~ ob.Jc~. ! s .:.1 :..abore:- D~te of In~arvi ' 2 . ExJ..c+ T:L-ne (loc3.l ) Jl~ _;. Pla~e ~f Cbs~r7acion Po3ltion o~ obsdrvar 5. lh~t attr1.cted n.tter.tl on to objoct .tatchi:lg 1-'Jane !n !.~q !.wnb~ r of' objecr.3 Time in s ie;ht '!'dUch d1ss1pated :t:ztedia~ saw m trail J.W~ vertical pro~}cct::.cns rn uppor s i de of' diso :.i:1ne uver s ~1. L..t.ru~er of' disappearance pnssed owor hill o::: Clouds l ST.\ IT.S: 1. This in7 8ti~ation ~s requested by Headquarters, OSI, by l~tter d.1~ed 20 1-.fay 1949, in which it ~3 stated ths.t certain Department of Recre- ation em:ployees had renort, !d seeing e n object which resifltbl~d :1 diac in the .~l. r ros ANGEr :S, CALIForurr~ 194') , provided the f ollorlng in ormation r~ 7f~.3 bt3lleved to have been the "fl]ing disc3": interv:i e'Wed on 25 Ma:r ob.set""rane e of Yrhat a. D~t~ of observance: 8 ~pril 1949 b . ~xa-..t. local t :Lne: rJ~<no"Wn; approximato t i..ne: 1.40C hours~ c. Plac e of observation: .Torth l3.titude .31.~ 08' l,\'est lon?itud~ p,.,1lt lon of observer: .::>tanding on a hillJide t o the ;vest ol Gr 1 ff ith Park Drive as it wind~ throu~h Gr lffith Park., Ther, .~.rft hill..J t.ha.t ri.3e about 150 fe~t o n bo~,h sides of the road l J ... nJ t horizontal visibilit.:r in any diNction. clyes were ~ttracted 3kytvard by a 3mall ci~ilian a.tr r c a r t ( 9re:5umably a Piper Cub frcin n arby Grand C~n tral Alrpc)rt) .lfhlch W-3-s diving lolf over the p-:irk. f. Hig7t abo".re the 3.i~c'l~ft which fi::-3t arr.,st.~d DE J.~t:ti3TT's at. r .,r..t Lon, hd ob 3~r.r ad s. r ound r~l~t metallj c obj act heading int ., ':.h~ .1orthw~st. g~ f b d )0 ., t. 8~emed t o b a flying at a great l"l~ighr. and aopear-,d to o~ ~r<'~ half the siza of a l Or coi~ when it is held at 3~i:nm~rt!d J(~3 that of i. n the ray3 ~painted alumjnum o.f the sun. ar.d it glist~ned and i . 3hact:! ot' ob,ject 11as r ound and flat; thick in the center and /' tape.ring to a thin edge at the circumfarsnce, lik e a, convex l:=ns in a. magnifying glasso j o :roen ob.9err~d, the object was very high in the sky, esti.11atad at acout 7G to 75 abOY9 t..he horizon .. CONTROL NO . 8U8JllCT1 F~oM:5D-CSl t To: I .tl.9 DArE 0 F' R lt,.l. Y OTHER DISPOSITION: F OLLOW U P ON No. INCL S . 1 IEsTAaLISHEO BY , , NITIAl.1 .I TRA"-IISM ITTA L F OR REI-4AI .. <5 estjmated as slightly faster than that of a jet .3peed 11as it ~overed a 1 60 ~n aoprox tel-35 d o. Sound ~ld odor: nono notad. p. Distance from observer: Seemed to be flying a ccur3e -N~cn would be dirsctly over t h e t own of Glendale, California. Its course would be on an approximate lin~ f rom San Diego t o San Francisco. q~ Trail: It seaned to laave a V3r'J thin dark tr.:ul -.vh:lch cii3- aipated aL~ost lirmedjately~ L' 1;x;~o aity: ~p.vq off no Er i_::ht, .L:.e t. a llic co l.or, light of its oxn<l -~flt;ct ing ::>., ; to j ~ct i ons: J~cmed ~. o ha.1e bo ~ween one ~d .four v ert,ical t J.b e -llke projections on t~1e upper side of t h e disc. t.. i:tnduv~rs: Nona; it f'le w a straight cours~. Ji:3apnea.rmce: Lost. to vi-ew )''~r northwest rim of Nhich obs8rv8r was ~tanding. vCJ E.t'f9-~r. o n ~Loud~: No clouds. Da.7 "f~a cldr:ir and sky was C l.IJ!Joll ':1'4J <i.., w.) Ai1'ti.u)~]. information ':oncerring obJact .. ~ Th~ Manner :t n whic h -d ~) ') )~cr, glitt.ared lead t :1e obserrer to h e I ildV~ that i t ".'fa3 ~-<~"". 1.t; in~, a:...tho,.lgh th~ direct i on or' rot<:1tlo n was not cl~a.r o x. rh~ ~"l:!.fl' .~t~ bright and visibility in all dir~ctions "Kas ea- pe(::u-\ll y good. The sky was cl ~ar of .~louds a nd haze. onnall7 "fears glasst3s but s tated h e was not wearing them at ~:!e t 'L~e he ob8erved. this ob,j ~ct. He has been employ~ by the City o f Los - eles for over eignt y~ars aod is considered to b e highly reliableo He apparently possesses abov~ .. B.verage intelligence and seeiDed earnest and sincere regarding his observation3. driv"!r employed by the Los Angeles :.:ltarTiewed on 25 Y..ay 1949. I.nfor.:l:ta , a colored tractor and Recreation Department was ovided eed in almost ill snects with that given howev~r, ~as 3eated on a ec]are-l t~a.t h~ 3 '1W :1u t.r~il I ro:n ti-:e b,~.~.l..--_.,h::it.3oeYer, 3..!1:.1 to hLn obi-?ct aoc.aared to oe ror ... -it:..ng i n :l counte::- :;,.,~..i ri.3~ d.i:~ctiono Color, ~>iza, 3!1apeJ St:.titu.de, d irec .: raoo.lt t vo and-a-hali' y~ar3 since h i s cli.scharg e i'rcm the Army and i J COrl.jldar~d to b~ a reliable employ~e. rll3 visio n is unimpaired and hd madd hiJ ob~dr- 113.tions .vith the naked eya., has a li.;tit~ education but :,.~ N":! 1ery s:nc?~e i n his manner whila t~llin~ of thd obj~ct. ;;at.T..s, C:.1lil'ornia al3o an ~ployee of the Lad AA.salas Cit.y Par !< a n a R~c-reation Depa":.ment .. as intervia'tlfed on 25 1949 regardi:;g hi3 obscsrvanca of t.n~ ob ~ct d~..;cribad as a "flying did c. a , 'rnose position was n-=ar that of beC.3.!tl~ a wars of the ob.j~ct. when looking Up a.nd f.::>llowed \ gazd to the object. story a greed with t e others in re3ard t o alti- J :.tde, Ji:ection, siz3, shape and S!Jeed, but stat. 3d. ~hc.1~ '":.h~ ubj ~ct 1 appc . to him to b e turning oYer and over, t...be s ama manr.er ~hat c.~. coi:l 1 wo1..:d '.fnich had been .flippdd into th~ air. s o daniad 3eein3 any p:-oj~ction3 .)t' lt:y svr-t. o n the ''>'.trf 1ce of -:he obj~ct. i~ a. l~Lbr..>C" r:-10 :n.3 !1al no \ f0r~.:.::.l .. :due :.1.t1on. Hd 3.-:J b-:::;ll 1-:mployed by the City oi lo.:J 1n:fel3~ f .J r a :.Jng \ p e ri.::>-..! Ol' til:te and i 3 con.Jidered to b e a steady, d~pendab 1.:.: er'!pl::>y.ee o r-ti 3 oo- 5.. ((dn..,ral i n f ..)r .nat ion: leather inforMt ion of' B \'"':oil 1 9 49 .r~va8.led -l:.h2.t. :5ki~.:5 .- ;r~ cloudl~::s~ and Yi3ibility mlimi ed; wind3 3-l.)ft at. 10,000 f~et w~:-~ 30:..ith.,~-i.st. d.t 2-1 '<.t0t3. .\ chack o f c~mmerci3.~, prlYa~e c.lnd T!l.ilit3.r7 air- c:~.ft 1'lfl;1g in the Vl.t.:tnity, i'.liled to indi~3te 'tha"L a.::r:~ :urcra.ft h.a.d bden fly- ing north"Ne~t r:;ver-G l. )nd~le, at or near 1~00 !'lo t.l.r::J on 8 ;\p ril 1949 ~ ~h~c~{3 .n.-:.h local. t'lll ,.td.ry unit,.J. ,fit, h the C;Uif:>rnl~ Institute of Techn o logy an:! tha Uni- "f~r:dt.7 'Jr"' -~0ut.hern :.,li(Jmia, f::1il:d to ra,rea.l t.n~ vpera.vL)n o r ral~iis~ oi' .n.n.r I;.J3t~-;...s clavice i n thd ~14~a.