UFO sighted by test pilots in 1954

Summary

In July 1954, test pilots Emglert and Peterson reported seeing an unidentified object while conducting a maintenance test for Hughes Aircraft Corporation. While flying southeast of Los Angeles, they spotted an object resembling a thin pencil, horizontally aligned with the Earth. The object remained stationary despite the pilots' attempts to get a closer look.

The aircraft climbed to 11,000 feet and performed 33-degree turns, but the object did not disappear. It appeared solid and made of metallic or similar material. The sighting was so intriguing that a National Guard pilot attempted an F-80 intercept from Van Nuys, but radio contact failed and the attempt was unsuccessful. The object could not be identified as a balloon, aircraft, or known astronomical phenomenon, leaving the incident unresolved.