Project Blue Book Case #95. On October 14, 1947, an unidentified object was observed over Phoenix, Arizona — just four months after Kenneth Arnold's sighting launched the modern UFO era. As Case #95, this was among the very earliest entries in the Blue Book archive, predating the formal establishment of Project Sign in January 1948.
Phoenix in 1947 was a rapidly growing desert city surrounded by military facilities. Luke Air Force Base to the west was the Air Force's primary advanced fighter pilot training center, and Williams Air Force Base to the southeast trained jet pilots. The Arizona desert hosted numerous bombing and gunnery ranges used by both the Army and Air Force.
The autumn of 1947 was the declining phase of the initial wave that had erupted in June and July. While the frenzied pace of summer reporting had subsided, significant cases continued to emerge. The Phoenix sighting contributed to the growing body of evidence that convinced the Air Force to establish a formal investigation program.
The object over Phoenix could not be identified as any military or civilian aircraft. The desert environment provided clear conditions for observation. The case was classified "Unknown" — one of the founding cases that helped establish America's two-decade government investigation of UFOs.