Balloon sighted on radar in Flagstaff

Summary

In May 1958, a U.S. Air Force pilot reported observing an object described as a white, elongated balloon the size of a basketball. The aircraft was at 35,000 feet and the object was detected on radar, though direct contact with the UFO was not possible due to local technical issues. The officer in charge, Lieutenant Thomas D. R. Park, noted that no other activities or unusual weather conditions were reported in the area. The pilot, with an aeronautical engineering background, described the object as stationary and without exhaust or sound.

The report concluded that the object was likely a weather balloon, as there were no other sightings or reports of strange phenomena in the region. Despite radar detection, direct confirmation was not possible due to the inability to make contact. The responsible officer considered the pilot's description consistent with a balloon, though other possibilities were not entirely ruled out. The case was filed as insufficient for a definitive evaluation, but with a high probability of being a conventional balloon-like object.