Blytheville AFB Oblong-Object Report (1967)

“The Blytheville witnesses estimated the objects at roughly 1,200 to 1,500 feet altitude, moving in a straight east-to-west line before turning southwest and disappearing after approximately 15 to 30 seconds.”

“Hynek notes that visual spotting was reported as confirmed by Blytheville AFB RAPCON at about two nautical miles, but he explicitly does not classify the case Radar-Visual because the specific radar data were not available.”

“Hynek reports that the Air Force material treated the witnesses as reliable and concluded that a genuine sighting or phenomenon had occurred while finding insufficient information to determine its cause; Hynek criticizes the lack of meaningful follow-up.”

“Hynek's Blytheville example describes two dark oblong-shaped devices whose appearance was compared to a table platter, with an apparent short exhaust-like feature.”

“Hynek calls distant daytime reports Daylight Discs because oval or disc-like shapes predominate, while cautioning that the term is applied loosely.”

“Hynek explains that the Daylight Disc label is applied rather loosely: oval or disc-like shapes predominate, but the observational category is not limited to one exact hull form.”

“Appendix 1 preserves Daylight Disc cases as selected daytime reports, including reports whose apparent shapes vary and do not always establish a literal disc hull.”

“Hynek's selected Daylight Disc examples involve 60 reporters, averaging about 4.8 observers per case with a median of four; he deliberately excludes single-observer reports from the selected prototype set.”

“Hynek notes that the selected Daylight Disc reports are almost uniformly noiseless despite descriptions of apparently structured objects in motion.”

“Hynek describes recurrent reports of wobbling, tumbling or falling-leaf-like motion among daylight objects.”

“In a Three Hills, Alberta example, Hynek reports that two farmers described an object like a snubbed dill pickle with a greenish-blue glow; truck drivers were also reported to have seen it, and the object was described as silent while a more distant airplane remained audible.”

“Hynek describes a General Mills Aeronautical Research Laboratory report in which three research engineers tracking a 79-foot balloon near 73,000 feet with a theodolite noticed a white smoke or vapor trail lower in the sky, followed an object traveling horizontally for roughly thirty seconds, then saw it dive nearly vertically while glowing intermittently.”

“Hynek discusses reports of smooth departures and very rapid acceleration, sometimes without a reported sonic boom, but says the available data are insufficient for a definitive physical judgment.”

“Hynek says a purported Daylight Disc photograph should not be taken seriously unless a reputable photographer also visually saw the object, the original negatives and camera are available, and the owner is willing to testify under oath; he allows that multiple independent photographs could relax the final criterion.”

“Hynek notes that nearby radar was inoperative and two F-86 aircraft did not obtain a useful correlation; Blue Book nevertheless retained the report as unidentified.”

“Hendry classified 71 of his 1,158 identified reports as Daylight Disc IFOs.”

“Weather and research balloons generated 35 Daylight Disc IFO reports from 23 separate balloons.”

“Conventional aircraft generated 22 Daylight Disc IFO reports.”

“The remaining Daylight Disc IFOs comprised five meteors, two observations of Venus, and one each involving lenticular clouds, ordinary cloud, birds, a sunrise effect, power-line fixtures, a physiological visual disorder, and kite wire.”

“Hendry reports that balloons were usually described as round, oval, or teardrop-shaped, white or silver, slow-moving or hovering, and visible for fifteen minutes to an hour or longer, with changing high-altitude winds and illumination producing apparent climbs, descents, and color changes.”

“Aircraft viewed edge-on or in glare were reported as domed discs, oblongs, globes, triangles, eggs, or other apparently wingless shapes; ordinary turns and climbs could appear abrupt along the witness line of sight.”

“A family driving past Camp Pendleton interpreted power-line marker spheres as ten to fifteen round objects in formation because the wires were invisible against distant hills and the car's motion supplied apparent horizontal flight.”

“On September 13, 1976, thirteen adults including a police officer in Bloomington, Indiana, reported an elongated aluminum object glowing centrally with edge lights; follow-up identified sunlight reflecting from kite wire between trees.”

“Hendry recorded only one physiologically generated visual case among 1,158 IFOs and emphasized that witnesses almost always observed some external target.”

“Hendry regards Daylight Disc reports as a comparatively conservative and potentially more physical foundation because daylight can provide better shape and motion information, while still emphasizing aircraft, balloon, distance, and single-witness alternatives.”