Mount Jefferson UFO Sighting (about 11 a.m.) — FBI Files
An FBI-documented sighting of four flying disks near Mount Jefferson, Oregon, emerged from declassified files as part of the PURSUE program.
Background
The Mount Jefferson UFO sighting occurred at approximately 11 a.m. in the vicinity of Mount Jefferson, located near Redmond, Oregon. The details of this encounter were preserved within official government records and were later released to the public on May 8, 2026, through the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE). This specific event belongs to the initial wave of unidentified flying object reports that permeated the United States consciousness during the summer of 1947. This period of intense public and military interest was catalyzed by the Kenneth Arnold sighting in June 1947 and the subsequent Roswell incident in July 1947, both of which established the “flying saucer” archetype in the American lexicon.
During this era, the phenomenon of unidentified aerial phenomena was increasingly viewed through the lens of national security. The geographic location of the sighting, near the Cascade Range in Central Oregon, placed it within a region of significant topographical complexity. The presence of Mount Jefferson, a prominent volcanic peak, provided a landmark for observers but also created atmospheric conditions often associated with unusual visual phenomena. At the time, the Federal Bureau of Investigation maintained a systematic approach to monitoring such reports. Field offices in cities such as Knoxville, Albuquerque, and Los Angeles followed established protocols to route UFO reports to headquarters, primarily to ensure the protection of vital installations and to monitor potential incursions into sovereign airspace.
The Documented Incident
The primary account contained within the released FBI documentation identifies Se Je Bagne as the individual who observed the phenomenon. While driving near Redmond, Bagne reported seeing four disks flying past the peak of Mount Jefferson. The timing of the observation was recorded as being around 11 a.m. Although the document provides a specific account of the objects’ movement and shape, the total number of witnesses to the event is not specified within the released file.
The nature of the report is classified as a visual sighting, a category that encompasses observations made by individuals on the ground or by personnel in aircraft. Such reports were common during the late 1940s as civilian aviation increased and the proliferation of high-altitude reconnaissance technology made the skies more visible to the public. The description of the objects as disks aligns with the prevailing nomenclature used by the press and the public during the post-Arnold era.
Classification and Resolution Status
Under the current administrative framework, all records released via the PURSUE program are designated as unresolved by default by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). This designation reflects a lack of definitive evidence to categorize the event as either extraterrestrial or conventional. The federal government has maintained a neutral stance, neither concluding that the objects were anomalous nor confirming that they were products of known human technology.
When analyzing sightings from this specific historical window, investigators often consider several conventional candidates. The late 1940s were characterized by significant advancements in aerospace engineering, including the development of experimental aircraft. Additionally, the period saw the deployment of the Project Mogul series of high-altitude weather balloons, which were designed to detect Soviet nuclear tests and were known to produce unusual radar and visual signatures. Other possibilities include atmospheric optical phenomena, such as sundogs or lenticular clouds, which frequently form around volcanic peaks like Mount Jefferson. Astronomical objects, including the Moon, Venus, or meteors passing near the horizon, also remain standard considerations for unverified aerial reports from this era.