Hamilton Field sightings, 29 July 1947
29 July 1947 · Hamilton Field, California
Summary
Captain William H. Ryherd, assistant operations officer of the 415th AAF Base Unit at Hamilton Field, California, reported two flying objects on 29 July 1947. A counterintelligence agent interviewed him on 5 August 1947. According to the FBI file copy of the interview, Ryherd and a student, 1st Lt. Ward L. Stewart, had landed an AT-6 at 1450 and were walking toward reserve operations when Ryherd saw a P-80 flying south toward Oakland.
Ryherd said two objects flew above the P-80 at about 8,000 to 10,000 feet. He judged them 15 to 25 feet in diameter, solid, white and somewhat shiny. He told the agent they were not airplanes and that he did not call them discs because of the publicity. One flew straight and level. The second moved from side to side behind it, like a guard in an aircraft formation. No sound, vapor or trail was noted, and the two were watched until they disappeared, supposedly over Oakland. The agent wrote that Ryherd showed extreme sincerity.
The Department of War incident summaries record the case as Incident 52, with the same time, altitude, size and direction. The checklist gives the weather as clear and lists no sketches or photographs. A second checklist, Incident 52A, covers Stewart. It gives the time as after 1200, the time in sight as 15 seconds and the altitude as 6,000 feet. It gives the speed as approximately 750 mph.
Another CIC agent interviewed Stewart on 8 September 1947 at the Hearst Mining Building, University of California. According to that memorandum, Stewart said the first object followed the P-80 at three to four times its speed, and a second appeared moments later. He said he could not estimate size and did not believe the altitude exceeded six thousand feet. He described the objects as milky white and said he was certain they were not the Navy "Flapjack". The agent described him as a former B-29 pilot of considerable experience. A second compilation, DOW-UAP-D087, carries the same checklists, numbering Stewart's as 53A and giving his speed as approximately 75 mph. None of the pages supplied gives a conclusion or a conventional explanation.
Where the files disagree
Two documents give different accounts of the same detail. Both are quoted as written; we don't say which is right.
Time of the sighting
“On 29 July at 1450, Captain Ryherd and a student, 1st Lt. Ward L. Stewart, 1242 Silvia Street, Berkeley, California, landed and parked an AT-6 near the hangar, building 59 of the 415th AAF BU.” page 186 →
“on the 29th of July 1947 shortly after 12 noon he and Captain Ryherd had just landed from a routine training flight” page 84 →
Speed of the objects in Stewart's account
“12. Speed Approx 750 MPH” page 115 →
“12. Speed Approx 75 mph” page 154 →
What the files say
“2d object seemed to be going from left to right and right to left like guard in aircraft formation”
Page 113 →“Ryherd specifically stated that these objects were not airplanes.”
Page 186 →“Captain Ryherd further stated that the speed of these two objects made a P-80 look as if it was motionless in the air.”
Page 186 →“These objects did not leave any vapor, smoke, or any visible trails along their flight path.”
Page 186 →“Mr. Stewart could not estimate the size of the objects nor actual altitude, though he did not believe them to be beyond six thousand feet.”
Page 84 →“When questioned whether he was familiar with the Navy "Flapjack", Mr. Stewart stated that he was, and that he was certain the objects he reported seeing were not of this nature.”
Page 84 →