Oklahoma City Byron Savage sighting
17-21 May 1947 · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Summary
Byron B. Savage, a Radio Corporation of America field engineer and private pilot, reported seeing a disc-shaped object over Oklahoma City between 17 and 21 May 1947. An Army counter-intelligence agent, Kalman D. Simon, interviewed him on 23 July 1947 and wrote it up in a 24 July 1947 memorandum to the Tinker Field security officer. An FBI file lists the same incident as report 2, dated 22 May, and names Savage as a businessman-pilot observing from the ground.
According to the memorandum, Savage was leaving his home at 416 N. W. 29th Street with his wife just after dusk, between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m.. He first took the object for a large white plane. At a 45° angle he judged it was not a conventional aircraft. It looked round and flat, with a diameter-to-thickness ratio of about 10 to 1. He put its altitude at 10,000 to 18,000 feet, its size at the bulk of six B-29s, its time in sight at 15 to 20 seconds and its speed at about three times that of a jet. He said it was frosty white and moved off toward 350°. His wife did not see it. He thought he heard a swishing sound afterwards but said it could have been his imagination or expectation. He was sure it was not a meteor and thought it was radically built and probably atomic powered.
The Air Force check-list for Incident 82 and a matching narrative page repeat these details. A second copy of the check-list is also in the record. On 20 August 1947 an FBI memorandum recorded that General Schulgen of Army Air Forces Intelligence asked the Bureau to run background investigations of Savage and Kenneth Arnold, to check for subversive background or ulterior motives. A handwritten note on that page says the Bureau could not conduct the investigation.
The December 1948 Air Intelligence study listed Savage's report among its selected incidents. One copy gives the altitude as 10,000 to 18,000 feet. Another gives 10,000 to 15,000 feet. The documents give no explanation for the sighting.
What the files say
“General Schulgen requested that the Bureau conduct a background investigation of these two individuals mentioned in the attached memoranda since they were among the first to sight the alleged flying discs.”
Page 135 →“SAVAGE judged the object to be at an altitude of between 10,000 and 18,000 feet, and it left no trailing effects.”
Page 81 →“SAVAGE advised that the object was in his vision approximately 15 to 20 seconds and travelled at a speed which he judged to be approximately three times that of jet-propelled aircraft.”
Page 81 →“SAVAGE stated he was sure this object was not a meteor and in his opinion it must be radically built and powered, probably atomic.”
Page 82 →“Subject further stated that the object appeared to be frosty white in color at all times.”
Page 82 →