Lt. E. B. Armstrong sighting, Lake Mead, Nevada
28 June 1947 · Lake Mead, Nevada
Summary
First Lieutenant Eric B. Armstrong reported a sighting near Lake Mead, Nevada, on 28 June 1947. A Counter Intelligence Corps memorandum dated 15 July 1947 recorded that he left Williams Field, Arizona, at 1400 CST in a P-51 bound for Portland, Oregon, by way of Medford. The memorandum put him at about 1515 CST, at 10,000 feet on a course of 300 degrees, roughly thirty miles northwest of Lake Meade.
The first mention in the files came secondhand. On 1 July 1947 Captain Malcolm G. Armstrong, the lieutenant's brother, told an agent at Williams Field that his brother had seen a formation of objects near Lake Mead, heading south at about 10,000 feet. The agent noted that the captain could not give much information. On 10 July the Air Training Command at Randolph Field asked Tenth Air Force for a copy of any interview with Armstrong. Tenth Air Force replied on 16 July and enclosed the 15 July memorandum.
Armstrong was interviewed on 14 July 1947. Agent Lawrence R. King Jr. recorded five or six white, circular objects at four o'clock, about 6,000 feet, on a course near 120 degrees at an estimated 285 MPH, flying smoothly in close formation. He estimated each at about 36 inches across. He said they were not birds because the rate of closure was fast, and not jets or conventional aircraft, because he had flown both. The agent called him sincere and not the exaggerating type, and wrote that he had drawn no conclusions about what the objects were.
The report was then logged elsewhere. A Fourth Air Force summary dated 18 July 1947 listed the Lake Mead sighting alongside the McGinty report from the Grand Canyon. The same data appeared as Incident 53 on a check-list form and in a second compilation. Both forms listed the weather, time in sight and manner of disappearance as not stated. The Air Intelligence Division study of December 1948 described the sighting briefly among its selected incidents. The documents give no explanation for the sighting.
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.
Direction and altitude of the objects
“Captain Armstrong, further stated that his brother stated the objects were heading south, and were at approximately 10,000 feet altitude.” page 136 →
“Lt Armstrong sighted five or six white, circular objects at four o'clock, altitude approximately 6,000 feet, course approximately 120 degrees, and an estimated speed of 285 MPH.” page 47 →
What the files say
“Captain Armstrong could not give too much information on the objects that his brother had seen.”
Page 136 →“Lt Armstrong sighted five or six white, circular objects at four o'clock, altitude approximately 6,000 feet, course approximately 120 degrees, and an estimated speed of 285 MPH.”
Page 47 →“Lt Armstrong said the objects were flying very smoothly and in a close formation.”
Page 47 →“Lt Armstrong was very sincere in the explanation and was not the exaggerating type.”
Page 47 →“This sighting occurred on 28 June 1947.”
Page 13 →
Explanations in the record
What the documents themselves say the event was, as recorded. Not our assessment.
- Armstrong said the objects were not birds, because the rate of closure was very fast, and not jets or conventional aircraft, because he had flown both. The agent recorded that he drew no conclusions about what they were. — FBI file on 1947 flying saucer wave, Arnold sighting, page 47