Lockbourne Army Air Base sighting, Columbus, Ohio
7 January 1948 · Columbus, Ohio
Summary
Captain Charles E. McGee, an assistant operations officer and pilot, reported a light southwest of Lockbourne Army Air Base, Columbus, Ohio, at 1925 EST on 7 January 1948, according to the Incident 30 check-list. He gave the distance as 4-5 miles southwest at first and 6-7 miles west the second time. He described a white light that later looked yellowish to orange, with no noise. He wrote that it was not a heavenly body because the sky was solid overcast.
Tower operator Mr. Boudreaux was recorded as watching a glowing object for about 15 minutes. He first thought it was a star, then noted the overcast. The form listed bluish streaks like a jet effect. Mr. Eisele, a direction-finding operator, reported an object first seen 15° above the horizon in the West-Southwest. It was red and amber-yellow, and disappeared at 1955. His report noted that Godman Field, Clinton County Tower and a pilot over Columbus had observed a similar phenomenon.
Lt C. W. Thomas, flying from Dayton to Washington, reported an amber light about 15 miles west at 1953. He said it looked like a large star or planet. His report reached Lockbourne through Columbus Airways. A second copy of the same forms appears in DOW-UAP-D087.
The Project Sign progress report of 23 April 1948 listed the incidents as 30, 30a, 30b and 30c. It recorded solid overcast for Incident 30. It recorded climbing and descending vertically as the maneuver. Its overall conclusion, per the file metadata, was insufficient data for positive identification.
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.
Date on the Boudreaux check-list
Duration of the descent to the horizon in Eisele's report
Eisele's length of Air Force service
What the files say
“It was not a heavenly body of any type in that the sky was solid overcast in the Lockbourne area and the object's movement outweighs such a thought.”
Page 57 →“Saw what he thought was a star but then he noticed the sky was overcast so it couldn't have been a star.”
Page 59 →“It then faded and lowered toward the horizon disappearing at 1955.”
Page 61 →“The light was amber and looked like a large star or planet.”
Page 64 →
Explanations in the record
What the documents themselves say the event was, as recorded. Not our assessment.
- Captain McGee ruled out a heavenly body because the sky was solid overcast and the object's movement did not fit. — UFO incident summaries 1-100, Box 7 index, page 57
- Boudreaux first thought the light was a star, then rejected that because the sky was overcast. — UFO incident summaries 1-100, Box 7 index, page 59
- Thomas described the amber light as looking like a large star or planet. — UFO incident summaries 1-100, Box 7 index, page 64