1947 · Mount Rainier, Washington
Kenneth Arnold sees nine 'saucers'
Page of Kenneth Arnold's own typed, handwritten and illustrated report sent to the Commanding General, Army Air Forces, Wright Field, describing the nine objects he saw near Mount Rainier on 24 June 1947, with his sketch of their shape. Later part of the Project Blue Book files. · Kenneth Arnold; U.S. Army Air Forces / Project Blue Book records (public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
WhenJune 24, 1947
WhereMount Rainier, Washington
Backing2 independent
Evidencedocuments, official records
In their own words
“like a saucer if you skip it across water”
Kenneth Arnold, private pilot, June 1947
Private pilot Kenneth Arnold reported nine shining crescent-shaped objects streaking past Mount Rainier at what he timed as over 1,200 mph. He said they moved 'like a saucer if you skip it across water'. The press coined 'flying saucer', and within weeks hundreds of sightings poured in across the U.S.
Evidence, in date order (2)
- 1947FBIdocumentflying-disc file 62-HQ-83894 from the 1947 wave war.gov (related file): FBI flying-disc file 62-HQ-83894, Section 1 (1947)
- 1947Air Materiel Commandofficial1947-48 report on UFOs during the same wave war.gov (related file): Air Materiel Command report on UFOs, 1947–48
How plausible · High
A named, experienced pilot filed a written report that sits in Air Force files, alongside FBI and AMC papers from the 1947 wave.
- ●●Access From his cockpit.
- ●●No gain sought Nothing sold at the time.
- ●●Consistent over time Kept his account.
- ●●Character record Experienced pilot, businessman.
- ●●Checkable details check out Air Force files.
- ●●Fits the documented skeleton The 1947 wave is documented.
Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-23.
On the record
- Arnold's written report to Army Air Forces intelligence, now in Project Blue Book files.
Claims
The objects were a formation of non-human craft, opening the modern wave that led straight to Roswell two weeks later.RoswellspeculationSourced, unconfirmedbelievers
Where
Mount Rainier, Washington
46.9°N 121.8°W
war.gov files on this case (2)
PDF65 HS1-834228961 62-HQ-83894 Section 1FBI · Release 01 · Oak Ridge UAP Pattern
PDF65 HS1-834228961 62-HQ-83894 Serial 449FBI · Release 01 · Oak Ridge UAP Pattern
‹ Previous in Classic sightingsFoo fighters3 of 11Next in Classic sightings ›Two "flying saucer" photographs from Oak Ridge sent to the FBI (July 1947)
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Threads · click one to see it on the board
Sources
- Wikipedia: Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting
- war.gov (related file): FBI flying-disc file 62-HQ-83894, Section 1 (1947)
- war.gov (related file): FBI flying-disc file 62-HQ-83894, Serial 449
- war.gov (related file): Air Materiel Command report on UFOs, 1947–48
- Kenneth Arnold flying saucer interview
- Kenneth Arnold interview: his sighting of June 1947