Project Blue Book: The Fresno UFO Case of 1957

 

A scan of the original Project Blue Book title card of the 1957 Fresno UFO sighting

On August 13, 1957, a civilian in Fresno, California, reported witnessing an unusual aerial object that defied any common explanation. The sighting was logged by the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book, the government’s official UFO investigation program. Unlike many cases that were quickly dismissed as stars, balloons, or conventional aircraft, this Fresno report was preserved in detail within the Blue Book archive.

As the Cold War began to ramp up in the early 50's, reports of unidentified flying objects became increasingly common across the United States. In response, the U.S. Air Force launched Project Blue Book, which operated from 1952 to 1969 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Its mission was straightforward: to determine whether UFOs posed a threat to national security and to study the reports through scientific analysis.

Over its 17 years, Project Blue Book investigated more than 12,000 cases. Most were explained as natural events, astronomical objects, or conventional aircraft (this is where we got the infamous "swamp gas" term). However, a small percentage could not be identified with certainty. Among those who examined these reports was astronomer J. Allen Hynek, the project’s scientific consultant. Initially a skeptic, Hynek gradually acknowledged that some cases defied simple explanation—an admission that continues to shape UFO studies today.

One of the cases preserved in the Blue Book files came from Fresno, California, in August 1957. What follows is the Air Force’s official record of that event.

Date of Sighting: 13 August 1957

• Location: Fresno, California
• Observer: Civilian witness (name redacted / withheld)
• Description: “One round object with three-quarter dome; dull aluminum color; no lights, no sound. Traveled on southeast course.”
• Duration: ~8 seconds (unaided), additional ~3 seconds with 16×50 binoculars.
• Estimated Altitude / Speed: ~1,200 feet at ~150 mph (judged by witness).
• Termination of Sighting: Object passed behind trees.
• Corroborating Evidence: None (no photos, radar, or secondary witnesses).
• Classification: “Other: (Hallucination).”
• Remarks: “Witness statement only. No identifying features. Insufficient data.”

This Fresno report shows how Project Blue Book documented sightings in precise detail, while often leaning toward dismissive or conventional explanations. Though officially closed as a hallucination, the case remains preserved in the historical record, offering a glimpse into how Cold War-era investigators approached unexplained aerial events.

Why It’s Classified as “Hallucination”

• Blue Book frequently used this classification when:
• There was only a single, brief, visual-only report with no verification.
• The description was vague, lacked detail or any verifiable metrics.
• No physical or instrumental evidence (radar, photo, multiple witnesses) supported it.
• Investigators often defaulted to psychological explanations when no tangible evidence existed.
• While the Air Force’s conclusion ended the matter in its files, the Fresno sighting still raises questions worth examining more closely.

As I dug into this report and compared it to others, I noticed a pattern: many of the more “unique” sightings that defied easy explanation were simply labeled “Hallucination,” especially when there was only one witness. This was the Air Force’s way of dismissing reports rather than admitting, “I don’t know what it is.” Over time, J. Allen Hynek grew disillusioned with this practice and with the Air Force itself, which ultimately shifted his perspective from skeptic to someone open to the reality of the phenomenon. At the time this report was filed, though, Hynek had not yet reached that point.

While the Air Force’s conclusion closed the case in its files, the Fresno sighting still raises intriguing questions. The witness clearly saw something unusual, observed it for several seconds both with the naked eye and binoculars, and felt compelled to report it. The report itself is detailed, and even includes a request—presumably directed to Hynek (though the names are redacted)—for both assistance and local contacts. There’s even a curious margin note referencing the DoD. Stranger still, the author of the letter mentions “a number of good UFO sightings buried in their papers.” Did this individual have multiple encounters? And if so, why was this the only one officially filed with Blue Book? Unfortunately, with the names redacted, it’s impossible to know if more reports were made.

Cases like Fresno remind us that Project Blue Book was as much about controlling the narrative as it was about collecting data. Even when the Air Force dismissed them, these reports still provide valuable insight into both the UFO phenomenon and the mindset of Cold War investigators.

Below are scans of the entire report and the orginal can be found here.