1951 Buffalo N Y unidentified aerial sighting

Summary

A U.S. Air Force officer reported an unusual aerial sighting over Buffalo, New York in 1951. The incident occurred on December 10 at 19:20 local time and lasted about 15 seconds. The object was described as large, white, and extremely bright, with a globular shape and an estimated diameter of 100 feet. Its center was brighter than the edges, displaying a blue-white glow, while the outer edge was white. A fiery, tapered cone trailed the object, with pulsating red-orange exhaust flashes. The trail was about a quarter mile long, and the object was estimated to be moving at 240 knots, between 3,000 and 4,000 feet in altitude, heading from south to north.

The witness, an experienced military pilot, described the object as suddenly disappearing, like turning off an electric light. No other sightings or sounds were reported. Authorities reviewed air traffic and weather records but found no matches. Despite detailed observations, the report concluded it could be a meteor or astronomical phenomenon, though a balloon or conventional aircraft could not be ruled out.