1949: January UFO & Alien Sightings Archive
The month of January 1949 marked a significant escalation in the reporting of unidentified aerial phenomena, transitioning the mystery from simple “flying saucers” to complex, structured craft interacting with sensitive military airspace. As the Cold War intensified, these encounters—ranging from cigar-shaped objects over Mississippi to massive balls of light that cleared air traffic control towers in Cincinnati—began to draw serious scrutiny from official intelligence agencies. This archive captures the raw, unfiltered data of that transformative month, documenting a global wave that spanned from the Pacific command centers in Hawaii to the nuclear-sensitive testing grounds of New Mexico.
As this January 1949 UFO archive demonstrates, the “flap” was characterized by high-speed maneuvers and non-ballistic movement patterns that consistently outclassed the aviation technology of the era. Reports from this period are particularly noteworthy for their high-quality witnesses, including USAF pilots and trained radar observers who logged interactions that were often cross-verified by ground-based tracking. By analyzing these 1949 sightings in daily detail, researchers can better understand the geographical patterns and technological characteristics that defined the early years of the modern UFO phenomenon.
Date: January 1949
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Time: 23:00
Summary: One white ball, of huge size, was observed by two witnesses at an airport for five minutes. A huge white ball of light circles airport twice. Both ATCs flee tower in a panic!
Source: Hatch, Larry
Date: January 1, 1949 BBU
Location: Jackson, Mississippi
Time: 5 p.m.
Summary: Pilot Tom Rush and his wife were in a private plane and saw an object described as cigar-shaped, 60′ long and 10′ wide cross their path at 1500-1600′ altitude. This estimate also placed the strange object at 500′ which is a close encounter range. The speed was approximately 200 m.p.h., accelerating to approx 400-500 m.p.h. The object made a 50-degree turn and was visible for 10-12 seconds.
Source: Project 1947; McDonald list; FUFOR Index
Date: January 4, 1949
Location: Hickam Field, Hawaii BBU #275
Time: 2 p.m.
Summary: USAF pilot Capt. Paul R. Stoney, on the ground at Pacific Command HQ, saw an object which appeared to be a large round piece of flat cardboard the size of a T-6. It was white underneath and dark on top. It approached from a 25-mile distance, at 3,000 ft, and circled the area at 85. The object seemed to “blink” a “whitish reflection” regularly. It departed climbing at a 25-degree angle.
Source: Jan Aldrich
Date: January 4, 1949
Location: Se Part, Georgia
Time: Around 2200
Summary: One object was observed by three witnesses for 48 seconds (Underwood).
Source: NICAP
Date: January 5, 1949
Location: Sea of Japan
Time: 10:07 p.m.
Summary: At 10:07 p.m. local time, an unknown object was picked up on radar. The length of the observation was 4 minutes. The source of information was the Far East Air Force
Source: Dan Wilson FEAF
Date: January 5, 1949
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Time:
Summary:
Source:
Date: January 6, 1949 BBU & OSI Case 16.
Location: Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
Time: 1730
Summary: Bright White Diamond shaped object in horizontal flight much faster than a jet.
Source: OSI Case 16.
Date: January 6, 1949 BBU & OSI Cases 16 & 17
Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico
Time:
Summary: Unusual sounds heard. The report mentions a Jan 5 incident An object was observed. Metallic traces found. A crashed disc was reported by a male witness near a nuclear test site (Von Poppen).
Source: OSI Cases 16 & 17
Date: January 9, 1949
Location: Southport, England
Time: Noon
Summary: One object was observed.
Source: Doubt Magazine
Date: January 10, 1949
Location: South Gardiner, Maine
Time: 17:15
Summary: One object was observed by one witness briefly (Savage).
Source: Newspaper
Date: January 10, 1949
Location: Auburn & Oxford, Maine
Time: 17:30
Summary: More than one object was observed by several witnesses briefly (Wardell).
Source: Newspaper
Date: January 16, 1949
Location: Endicott, West Virginia
Time: 06:30
Summary: Hovering objects were observed. Two objects, the size of the moon, were observed by one male 16-year-old witness at a mountain (Riter).
Source: CUFOS
Date: January 16, 1949
Location: Paris, Kentucky
Time: 16:30
Summary: An object was observed and photographed. One walnut-shaped object was observed by two female experienced witnesses for ten minutes (Brannon; Miller).
Source: Project Bluebook
Date: January 23, 1949
Location: 4 miles S of Tillamook, Oregon BBU
Time: 11:05 a.m.
Summary: Burt Leckington and wife while driving S on Hwy 101, about 1/4 to 1/2 mile SE of Pleasant Valley, saw a shiny, silvery, round stationary object about 10-15 ft size glinting in the sun to the SE at about 35° elevation about 500 [or 2,000] ft height about 1/2 to 3/4 mile away. When he went inside his shop to get binoculars the object disappeared. No sound or trail. Witness Smith in Tillamook saw for about 1 min the polished silver saucer-shaped object reflecting sunlight nearly overhead at 45° elevation stationary at first about 1,000-2,000 ft altitude, the angular size of a full moon (0.5°), then moving NE at about 30-50 mph, for about 1 min. 2.5-3 mins
Source: FOIA; FUFOR Index
Date: January 24, 1949
Location: About 250 miles SW of Bermuda Island, Atlantic BBU
Time: 12:00-2:10 a.m. (Z/GMT/UT)
Summary: USAF pilot and crew of RB-29 bomber in the 373rd Recon Squadron based at Kindley AFB, Bermuda [on classified Atomic Detection System service] was searching for a lost BOAC aircraft. At 1,500 ft and at 200 mph saw to the left (in the N) a red glow on the ocean 1 to 1-1/2 miles in size extending up to 2,500-3,000 (or 4,000-6,000) ft altitude with 2-4 white searchlight-like beams of light within the red glow. At 12:25 a.m. B-29 turned toward the light and by 12:40 approached so close, estimated 100-150 ft [?] distance at 6,000 ft altitude, that pilot made a sharp bank to avoid a collision. B-29 crew was unable to take nuclear fallout sample of air around red glow because in haste to take off on search mission they failed to bring filter paper. B-29 circled the red glow from all directions for 44 mins as the glow slowly moved [at about 10 mph headed W], when they finally departed the area at 1:24 a.m. Red glow still visible on landing in Bermuda [at about 2:10 a.m.].
Source: BB Maxwell Microfilm Roll 5 pp. 167-233; Project 1947; Saunders/FUFOR Index
Date: January 27, 1949
Location: Seattle, Washington
Time: 17:35
Summary: One object was observed by a male witness briefly (Victor).
Source: Newspaper
Date: January 27, 1949: Cortez-Bradenton, Florida Sighting
Date: January 30, 1949
Location: Near Amarillo to near Lamesa, Texas BBU
Time: 5:54 p.m. (MST).
Summary: Thousands of witnesses over several states saw a spectacular green fireball, N-S trajectory triangulated by Dr. Lincoln LaPaz as 12-mile altitude over the Amarillo area descending slightly on a nearly horizontal 143-mile path to near Lamesa disappearing about 8 miles altitude. No noise except slight hissing. 100+ witnesses interviewed. 10-20 secs
Source: Sparks; FOIA
Date: January 30, 1949
Location: Roswell, New Mexico AFOSI 19 Also seen at Alamogordo (AFOSI 20) and Fort Worth, Texas (AFOSI 21)
Time: 5:55 p.m.
Summary: Approximately 200 observers. W-E, 2000′, horizontal flight, blue-green, moving slowly, disappeared in a shower of lighted fragments. Also seen at Alamogordo (AFOSI 20) and Fort Worth, Texas (AFOSI 21)
Source:
Date: January 31, 1949
Location: Orlando, Florida
Time: Dawn
Summary: One object was observed by a male witness.
Source: Doubt Magazine
Date: January 1949
Location:
Time:
Summary:
Source:
