Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting near Alexandria, Virginia, 19 August 1951

On 19 August 1951, at 1805 EDT, a US Navy Lieutenant and his wife observed an unidentified object near the Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. The witness described the object as a 'frosty' silver, football-shaped craft, approximately 50 feet in length and 20 feet in vertical height. The object maintained a steady, controlled flight path at an estimated altitude of 2,000 to 4,000 feet, traveling at a high speed on a bearing of 155 degrees true. The witness noted that the object did not change shape, nor did it exhibit any visible means of propulsion, such as smoke, vapor trails, or noise. The object was observed for approximately two minutes before the witness lost sight of it while moving to a better vantage point. The sighting was subsequently reported to the Pentagon command post. An official evaluation conducted by Lt. Colonel M. D. Willis of the Air Technical Intelligence Center concluded that the object was likely an aircraft. The report suggests that the observation was a reflection of sunlight off an aircraft flying at a higher altitude, between 6,000 and 15,000 feet, with a speed ranging from 150 to 425 miles per hour. The investigators deemed the witness's altitude estimate of 2,000 to 4,000 feet to be incorrect based on other observations. The file includes a disposition form, a project record card, and several sketches detailing the object's appearance and the witness's line of sight.