Project 10073 Record: Incident 355 - Culpeper, Virginia, 3 June 1949

This document is a formal report under Project 10073 regarding an Unidentified Flying Object sighting that occurred on June 3, 1949, near Culpeper, Virginia. The report was generated by the 2235th AF Reserve Training Center at Byrd Field, Richmond, and addressed to the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The witness, an amateur pilot and former CID member, observed a single, silver, oyster-shaped object while driving a truck. He estimated the object's size to be comparable to a five or six-room house, traveling at an estimated speed of 900 to 1500 mph at an altitude of 1500 to 2000 feet. The observation lasted approximately five to six seconds, during which the object banked at high speed into the sun and disappeared. The report notes that the observer was considered to be of average intelligence and possessed sufficient experience to identify standard aircraft, yet he could not identify this specific object. Weather conditions at the time were clear with excellent visibility. The official conclusion recorded for this incident is 'Astro (METEOR)'. The document includes detailed administrative data, including weather conditions, wind aloft reports, and the observer's background, confirming that no physical evidence, radar contact, or photographic documentation was obtained.