Incident #180A/B Sighting Report — South Bend, Indiana, 13 October 1948

This report details an investigation into an unidentified aerial phenomenon sighting that occurred on October 13, 1948, in South Bend, Indiana. The investigation was initiated by the Office of Special Investigations at the request of Colonel W. R. Clingerman of the Air Materiel Command. Two employees of the Studebaker Corporation, a secretary and a chief clerk in the Engineering Department, reported observing a flying anomaly while looking out of their office window at approximately 11:45 AM. The witnesses described the object as a spinning or flashing, silver or chrome-colored, flat or disc-shaped object. They estimated its size to be smaller than a DC-3 transport but larger than a Piper Cub. The object was observed traveling at a high rate of speed from the northwest to the southeast, maintaining a steady course at an altitude estimated to be no more than 1,500 feet. The witnesses reported that the object made no noise and left no vapor trail. The observation lasted between 15 and 20 seconds. Both witnesses were interviewed by the investigating agent, Gomer L. Gibson, who noted that they were of high character and reliability. The investigation included a review of local weather data from the South Bend Weather Bureau, which indicated a clear day with average cloudiness, and a check of commercial flight schedules, which showed no scheduled flights over the area at the time of the sighting. The official conclusion reached by the investigators was that there was no astronomical explanation for the incident, but suggested that the reflection of the sun from a balloon or an aircraft appearing in a foreshortened position might account for the description provided by the witnesses. The report includes several enclosures, such as statements from the witnesses, a map of the area, and climatological data.