A young Detroit man phones the FBI about a circular object with a crystal-type dome (17 April 1958)
At 4:08 am on 17 April 1958, David Weaver, 23, phoned the FBI's Detroit office. On his way home from work he had just seen a circular object with a crystal-type dome that reflected lights. It was moving from the southwest towards the north and crossed the city three blocks south of Six Mile Road at Lamphere Street. He had first tried to reach Selfridge Field. The memo notes that he was the son of a Detroit policeman and had Civil Air Patrol experience, but was "not too familiar with the identification of aircraft". The agent recommended passing it to the Air Force. A handwritten note records that a Lt. Col. Prater (first name hard to read) was advised the same day and that no letter was needed. *Method note: war.gov blocks this server. The one-page memo was read from the page image of the original PDF on the ufotransparency.com mirror, because the file has no text layer. The witness's name appears unredacted in the release.*
How plausible · Moderate
A same-morning FBI memo records a named young man's report of a domed object; no one else.
- ●●No gain sought A phone call.
- ●●Checkable details check out The memo is released.
- ●○Access Saw it on his way home.
- ●○Cost of speaking Gave his name to the FBI.
- ●○Restraint Plain description.
- ●○Physical traces or official reaction The FBI recorded it.
- −Lone source, no corroboration One witness.
Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-23.
On the record
- "DAVID WEAVER, 15801 Decosta ... telephonically advised this office at 4:08 A.M., today, that he had just seen an object in the sky described as a circular object with a crystal-type dome that reflected lights." (65_HS1-101634279_100-DE-18221_Serial_844, p. 1; read from the page image)
- "He said this object was passing in a northern direction from southwest and crossed the City three blocks south of Six Mile at Lamphere Street." (65_HS1-101634279_100-DE-18221_Serial_844, p. 1; read from the page image)
- He had tried to contact Selfridge Field. He was 23, the son of a Detroit policeman, and had Civil Air Patrol experience, but was "not too familiar with the identification of aircraft". He was on his way home from work. (Office Memorandum, SAC Detroit from SA Robert Ross Reynolds, April 17, 1958; read from the page image)
- "Advise proper air force authorities." (65_HS1-101634279_100-DE-18221_Serial_844, p. 1; read from the page image) Handwritten: "Lt Col [first name unclear] E Prater advised 4/17/58 no letter nec".