What did the declassified documents reveal?

COLD OPEN. This is a declassified record titled “1949 09 6313269 Alexandria La,” filed by the United States Air Force. The document is dated September 1949 and was made publicly available through The Black Vault archive, a repository for government records. PROVENANCE. The file was uploaded to The Black Vault at the URL https://archive.org/download/1949-09-6313269-Alexandria-La/1949-09-6313269-Alexandria-Ladjvu.txt. The archive entry indicates that the material originates from a Project 10073 investigation file, released under the authority of the Office of Special Investigations of the United States Air Force. No specific Freedom of Information Act case number is listed; the document appears to have been released as part of a broader public‑domain declassification effort. THE DOCUMENT. I Project 10073 Record 1. Date • Time CROUP : September nineteen‑forty‑nine, two‑three‑six‑six Zulu. Location Alexandria, Louisiana. Source Civilian 10. Conclusion Astro (METECR). Number of objects One. Length of observation Five seconds. Type of observation Round‑V‑usual course Southerly. Brief summary and analysis. Object was round and was comparable to the brilliance of the dazzling sun, as if it suddenly became aflame and shot across the sky. The object was in view only a mere instant. There was no evidence of exhaust or trails, no sound was heard, and the object did not appear to be supported by any discernible means. Photos — none. Physical evidence — none. Form FTD SEP 0029 (TOE). United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, Report of Investigation. Project “SIGN” – Sighting(s) of Unidentified Aerial Object(s). Date of sighting — September five‑thirty‑nine. Time of sighting — zero‑zero‑zero Zulu, solar by two‑hour clock. The sighted object was round. City, town — Alexandria, Louisiana. Distance and direction from city — not specified. Essential elements of information: 1. Time insight — five seconds. 2. Appearance of object — Color — not recorded; Shape — round; Apparent construction — translucent; Size — estimated size not recorded, appeared comparable to known celestial body. 3. Direction of flight — southerly. 4. Tactics or maneuvers — none observed. 5. Evidence of emission — no color of smoke, no odor, no trail, no sound. 6. Effect on clouds — none observed. 7. Lights — none reported. 8. Support — no wings, no aerodynamic lift, no visible exhaust, no propulsion. 9. Control and stability — none evident. 10. Speed — not determined. Additional sections of the file contain extensive checklists for reporting, including fields for radar data, weather conditions, aircraft schedules, and possible physical evidence. The document concludes with a notation that the file is unclassified and that the investigator’s comments are omitted. CONTEXT. No additional agency commentary accompanies this record in the archive. The United States Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations provides only the procedural headings and the raw observational data as…

Why was this case declassified?

This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

CIA Cold Open.

◆ BLUF — The short version

COLD OPEN. This is a declassified record titled “1949 09 6313269 Alexandria La,” filed by the United States Air Force. The document is dated September 1949 and was made publicly available through The Black Vault archive, a repository for government records.

Agency: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Date: JUL 18 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was CIA Cold Open. about?: COLD OPEN. This is a declassified record titled “1949 09 6313269 Alexandria La,” filed by the United States Air Force. The document is dated September 1949 and was made publicly available through The Black Vault archive, a repository for government records.
Why was this case declassified?: This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked in the case notes above so the citation chain is fully auditable.

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