UFO seen over Klamath Falls in 1964

Summary

An Air Force officer in Klamath Falls, Oregon, spotted an elliptical, bluish-white object with a long, boat-like contrail moving northwest at a constant altitude. The object remained visible for three minutes and was observed at dawn. Although initially considered a UFO, analysts concluded it was the contrail of an Atlas D missile. The sighting was corroborated by civilian witnesses in California and military personnel at a nearby airfield. The officer, experienced with aircraft contrails, described the object's trail as covering 30 miles of the sky, fading gradually as it moved.

The object's description and trajectory matched those of a missile in flight. However, no test activity was recorded in the area, raising some uncertainty. Additional witnesses in Arcata and Klamath AFS also reported a bright, star-like object with a glowing tail. Despite no photographs or physical evidence, the convergence of multiple testimonies and the officer's technical background led to the conclusion that it was a conventional aerial phenomenon, though other possibilities were not entirely ruled out.