July 10, 1947 — Ernest Harmon AFB, Newfoundland
5:30 p.m. Three civilian airline mechanics (John N. Mehrman Jr., Robert Leidy, and John E. Woodruff) at Ernest Harmon AFB [now Stephenville International Airport] are returning from a fishing trip and driving up a mountain road near Stephenville Crossing, Newfoundland. They see a bluish-black exhaust trail that has cut through some clouds leaving a “hole.” Woodruff sees a disc-shaped object the apparent size of a C-54 transport plane coming out of the clouds and traveling at a terrific rate of speed. The hole remains in the cloud for more than an hour. Leidy takes two Kodachrome photos of the exhaust trail. The sighting later impresses Project Sign personnel to the extent that they ask questions about UFO effects on clouds. [Eberhart]
Record Card:
Loedding Report:
Investigative Report:
SIGN Final Report (Capt. William Smith):
SIGN Incident 26 Checklist / Interview:
SIGN Incident 27 Checklist / Interview:
SIGN Incident 27a Checklist / Interview:
Sources:
Brad Sparks, Blue Books Unknowns Catalogue, Case 37, p. 24;
Loren E. Gross, UFOs, a History: Volume 1, 1947, The Author, February 1991, pp. 44–45;
Chris Rutkowski and Geoff Dittman, The Canadian UFO Report, Dundurn Press, 2006, pp. 49–50;
Chris Rutkowski, “The Cold, Hard Facts about UFOs in Canada,” IUR 34, no. 1 (September 2011): 8–9;
Michael Swords and Robert Powell, UFOs and Government, pp. 38–39;
Chris Rutkowski, Canada’s UFOs: Declassified, August Night, 2022, pp. 167, 264–267;
Michael D. Swords, “Can You Learn Anything from UFO Photos, Part Two,” The Big Study, July 5, 2012;
NICAP, “Harmon Field Photo”;