Kenneth Arnold Sighting

Private pilot Kenneth Arnold reported observing nine crescent-shaped objects flying in formation near Mount Rainier at an estimated speed far exceeding any known aircraft of the era; his description of their motion as “like a saucer skipping across water” was misquoted by the press as describing the objects’ shape, giving rise to the term “flying saucer.”

Assessment

Arnold was a respected, experienced pilot with no history of hoaxing, and his sighting is generally treated by researchers on both the skeptical and believing sides as a sincere and credible report; proposed conventional explanations, including a flock of birds or a mirage, have not been considered fully satisfying by most investigators, and the case remains formally unexplained.

See also

• Roswell incident
• Maury Island Incident

References

1. ^ Arnold, K.; Palmer, R. (1952). The Coming of the Saucers.