The Kenneth Arnold Sighting

On June 24, 1947, a single pilot’s observation launched the modern UFO era and gave the world the term “flying saucer.”

The Sighting

Kenneth Arnold, a private pilot and businessman, was flying near Mount Rainier, Washington, searching for a downed Marine transport plane:

At approximately 3:00 PM:

• He saw a bright flash of light
• Nine objects flew in diagonal formation
• They weaved between mountain peaks
• Their movement was unlike any known aircraft

Arnold’s Description

He described the objects as:

• Flat and disc-shaped (except one crescent-shaped)
• Highly reflective, like mirrors
• Moving at incredible speed
• Flying in a chain-like formation

He estimated their speed at over 1,200 mph—faster than any aircraft of the era.

”Like a Saucer”

When Arnold described the movement to reporters, he said they flew “like a saucer if you skip it across water.” A journalist transformed this into “flying saucers”—and the term was born.

Arnold himself said the objects were more crescent or bat-wing shaped, but “saucer” captured the public imagination.

The Aftermath

Within weeks:

• Over 850 similar reports flooded newspapers
• The Army Air Force began investigating
• The modern UFO phenomenon was born

Arnold remained convinced of what he saw until his death in 1984. He later had additional sightings and became a prominent figure in UFO research.

Significance

The Arnold sighting:

• Established the “flying saucer” terminology
• Triggered the first UFO wave
• Led to official government investigations
• Created a template for future sightings

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Kenneth Arnold never claimed the objects were extraterrestrial—he simply reported what he observed. The interpretation was left to others.