Richard Rankin sighting, Bakersfield, California
14 June 1947 · Bakersfield, California
Summary
Richard Rankin, a pilot, reported seeing ten objects over Bakersfield, California, at about noon on 14 June 1947. In a statement taken at Portland, Oregon, on 30 July 1947, he said he was lying in his front yard while a boy mowed the lawn, and that the objects flew south to north at about 8,500 feet and 350 miles per hour. He said he told the boy they were probably Army or Navy test planes from the desert test centers, and that they resembled pictures of the XF5U-1, the Navy's "Flying Flapjack".
Rankin said the objects returned later from north to south, numbering seven instead of ten, in the same V formation. He guessed that three had gone back to base on another course. The Oregonian of 3 July 1947 quoted him describing the objects as almost round, with no wings or tail distinguishable. The same article noted that the Navy and the manufacturer had said only one XF5U-1 was built and it never left Connecticut. It gave the sighting date as June 23.
Rankin's statement said he had flown since 1919 and logged 7,000 hours. He wrote that he could not say where the objects came from or were going, and that he was convinced they were some sort of flying machines.
The Army Air Forces took an interest. On 17 July 1947 Fourth Air Force intelligence told Washington it was unable to locate Richard Rankin. According to an FBI Portland teletype of 5 August 1947, Captain William L. Davidson and Lt. Frank M. Brown interviewed Rankin on 27 July. Both officers died in a plane crash at Kelso, Washington, on 1 August. An FBI memo of 14 August said the Bureau found the plane was not carrying disc parts.
The incident appears as number 29 in two Department of War compilations, each with a checklist listing 10 objects the first time and 7 the second. The checklists give no distance, duration, sound or color. An FBI summary table lists the Bakersfield report as 1 July. The records differ on the second sighting time and on Rankin's address.
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 second sighting
Rankin's Bakersfield address
“from the yard of my home at 1808 South "M" St, Bakersfield, California.” page 39 →
“from the yard of my home at 1003 South "H" St, Bakersfield, California.” page 179 →
What the files say
“Tactics Flying in "V" formation with one object straggling in the rear”
Page 54 →“I looked up into the sky and saw ten articles flying from the South to the North at what I would judge to be 8500 ft.”
Page 179 →“They appeared almost round.”
Page 180 →“Investigation by the Bureau has reflected that this plane was definitely not carrying parts of a disc and there appears to be no substantiation of a sabotage charge.”
Page 31 →“At this time the objects re-appeared going from North to South, although this time there were only seven of the articles.”
Page 39 →“This headquarters is unable to locate Richard Rankin, however,”
Page 84 →
Also discussed in
Explanations in the record
What the documents themselves say the event was, as recorded. Not our assessment.
- Rankin told the boy mowing the lawn that the objects were probably Army or Navy test planes from nearby desert test centers. — FBI UFO case file section 1: flying disc records (1947-1968), page 179
- Rankin said the objects resembled the Navy's XF5U-1 "Flying Flapjack" and concluded they were the Navy's new aircraft; the Oregonian noted only one such aircraft was built and it never left Connecticut. — FBI UFO case file section 1: flying disc records (1947-1968), page 180
- Rankin thought three objects had returned to base on a different course, accounting for seven in the second formation. — FBI file on 1947 flying saucer wave, Arnold sighting, page 39