Unresolved UAP Report, Catalina Island, 1955

This four-page file covers a single short sighting on March 15, 1955, near Avalon on Santa Catalina Island. A civilian in Avalon, named in the file, said he “just happened to notice” a round, very bright object about the size of a nickel at arm’s length, orange turning to red, which dropped straight down and faded from view in about two seconds. He saw it once, by eye, at night, with no instruments.

The paperwork

The report came in by teletype from the 670th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at San Pedro, California, addressed to the 27th Air Division at Norton AFB, Air Defense Command, the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson and Air Force intelligence in Washington. It gives the object’s first and last positions as 45 and 10 degrees above the horizon, both at a bearing of 340, and the weather as clear, dry and cool with unlimited visibility. The squadron’s intelligence officer, Capt. Clifford E. Brant, added that the path and the short time in view suggested the object was probably a meteor, and someone has written “Prob. meteor” on the message.

Two index cards summarize it, and they do not quite agree. The Project 10073 record card, the Blue Book summary form, says “Probable meteor,” while the 4602d Air Intelligence Service Squadron card ticks “possibly astronomical” and says that, because the sighting was so short, no further investigation was thought worthwhile.

Weighing it

A bright light falling steeply for two seconds and changing color fits a meteor well, and nothing in the file argues otherwise. It is one of four Catalina Island files in this release; the others are 1953, 1952 and 1949.