Enormous metallic disc in Alaska sky, 1949
I was born and raised in the Territory of Alaska and in 1949 I was a student at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. During the summer of 1949 I worked as a transit man on a survey line for the Civil Aeronautics Administration which was beginning the development of the Fairbanks International Airport.
On a clear day in July, in a sky void of sound or activity, there appeared an enormous metallic saucer-shaped object directly above my line of sight, but at a great distance from us.
I shouted to my two chainmen and pointed to the object which was approaching rapidly until it appeared directly above us, but still at an altitude higher than any aircraft I had ever observed. Its size was enormous. I imagined it would cover several city blocks in size.
It was visible for about a couple of minutes before it made a sharp right angle turn and climbed out of sight. Only one of the chainmen saw the object. The time of the sighting was about eleven o’clock in the morning.
At noon it was time for our break and we headed back to the survey station where the sighting was discussed with others.
By the end of the day our story had reached the military at Ladd Field and when we arrived back at the station we were approached by an Army officer who interrogated us separately regarding the sighting. When I was asked how high it was I responded that it was at least at an altitude of 30,000 feet. The officer asked why I would choose that altitude and I said it was because I knew of no aircraft that could reach that altitude.
I am aware that this was a very early sighting but understand that your organization is nevertheless interested in recording all reliable sightings, and since I am now in my eighties there is no time like the present to report it.
((NUFORC Note: Witness indicates that the date of the sighting is approximate. PD))
((ADDENDUM FROM WITNESS))
Dear Mr. Davenport,
Thank you for your response to my report. The insertion of "California" as a county name was not intended. It was an interesting technical error as I had inserted "no county" in that column. Alaska was divided by districts for the purpose of voting in Territorial elections and for judicial purposes and I assume that remains the case today.
Regarding the name of the co-worker who was a chainman, his name was ((name deleted)). I assume he was in his forties at the time while I was 22 years of age. As I reported, surveying was summer work during my college years, but I was late into college as I spent time in the military as World War II was ending. I was stationed at Kodiak as a ((deleted)). ((name deleted)) was a typical "oldtimer" in Alaska picking up work where he could find it. A very good man. In those days in Alaska, everyone seemed to know one another. In the early 1940s before the military began to arrive the population of the entire Territory was about 75,000.
Thank you for forwarding the very interesting story regarding the sighting from the Eklutna area. I graduated from the Anchorage High School and during my summer surveying, I worked in many remote areas. Alaska abounds in great stories! Incidentally, your website is most interesting and well-organized.
Sincerely,
((END ADDENDUM))
I was born and raised in the Territory of Alaska and in 1949 I was a student at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. During the summer of 1949 I worked as a transit man on a survey line for the Civil Aeronautics Administration which was beginning the development of the Fairbanks International Airport.
On a clear day in July, in a sky void of sound or activity, there appeared an enormous metallic saucer-shaped object directly above my line of sight, but at a great distance from us.
I shouted to my two chainmen and pointed to the object which was approaching rapidly until it appeared directly above us, but still at an altitude higher than any aircraft I had ever observed. Its size was enormous. I imagined it would cover several city blocks in size.
It was visible for about a couple of minutes before it made a sharp right angle turn and climbed out of sight. Only one of the chainmen saw the object. The time of the sighting was about eleven o’clock in the morning.
At noon it was time for our break and we headed back to the survey station where the sighting was discussed with others.
By the end of the day our story had reached the military at Ladd Field and when we arrived back at the station we were approached by an Army officer who interrogated us separately regarding the sighting. When I was asked how high it was I responded that it was at least at an altitude of 30,000 feet. The officer asked why I would choose that altitude and I said it was because I knew of no aircraft that could reach that altitude.
I am aware that this was a very early sighting but understand that your organization is nevertheless interested in recording all reliable sightings, and since I am now in my eighties there is no time like the present to report it.
((NUFORC Note: Witness indicates that the date of the sighting is approximate. PD))
((ADDENDUM FROM WITNESS))
Dear Mr. Davenport,
Thank you for your response to my report. The insertion of "California" as a county name was not intended. It was an interesting technical error as I had inserted "no county" in that column. Alaska was divided by districts for the purpose of voting in Territorial elections and for judicial purposes and I assume that remains the case today.
Regarding the name of the co-worker who was a chainman, his name was ((name deleted)). I assume he was in his forties at the time while I was 22 years of age. As I reported, surveying was summer work during my college years, but I was late into college as I spent time in the military as World War II was ending. I was stationed at Kodiak as a ((deleted)). ((name deleted)) was a typical "oldtimer" in Alaska picking up work where he could find it. A very good man. In those days in Alaska, everyone seemed to know one another. In the early 1940s before the military began to arrive the population of the entire Territory was about 75,000.
Thank you for forwarding the very interesting story regarding the sighting from the Eklutna area. I graduated from the Anchorage High School and during my summer surveying, I worked in many remote areas. Alaska abounds in great stories! Incidentally, your website is most interesting and well-organized.
Sincerely,
((END ADDENDUM))
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Off
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Fairbanks
USA
2 minutes
2 minutes
64.86
-147.76
disk
AK
Occurred : 7/1/1949 11:00 (Entered as : July, 1949 11:00) Reported: 12/22/2013 6:36:21 PM 18:36 Posted: 12/23/2013 Location: Fairbanks, AK Shape: Disk Duration: 2 minutes
Enormous metallic disc in Alaska sky, 1949.