Tucson, AZ: Two flat discs bank at high speed
A flight engineer in Tucson spotted two round objects overhead that banked sharply, revealing their flat shape and 25-foot diameter. They traveled at 750-1,000 mph, exceeding known aircraft speeds in 1949.
Background
Witness and Observation
An experienced flight engineer and former military pilot was sitting in a garden chair in front of his house at 939 Benton Boulevard in Tucson, Arizona, when at 14:30 on May 9, 1949 he saw two round objects directly overhead. At first they seemed to be balloons, but their precise formation and a sharp banking turn made their flat structure visible.
Object Details
Each object measured an estimated 25 feet in diameter. They flew at speeds between 750 and 1,000 miles per hour, far beyond the capabilities of aircraft of the time. After a further change of course they disappeared behind nearby mountains.
Sources and Significance
The case is documented in the National Archives (Project Blue Book, case number 337) and was analysed by Jazz Shaw in The Debrief. As a Blue Book case it is among the early high-quality sightings by qualified witnesses.