What happened
Arnold reported nine bright, fast objects in a chain, which he timed at 1,400 to 1,700 mph between the two peaks. He told East Oregonian editor Nolan Skiff they flew "like a saucer would if you skipped it across the water." The press turned the motion into a shape and coined "flying saucer" and "flying disc." His shape descriptions vary. Early accounts call them flat and roughly circular, about 50 ft across, with one crescent-shaped object. His later drawing is a crescent or heel shape, closer to a flying wing. An official Air Force investigation concluded he saw a mirage or lenticular clouds. Skeptics also note that his drawing resembles a bird with outstretched wings.