Aerial Sighting of Unidentified Object - 10 September 1951

This document collection details an aerial sighting reported by two Air Force pilots on the night of September 10, 1951. While flying a C-47 aircraft from Andrews Air Force Base, the pilots observed a streak of light at approximately 2200 hours. The object was described as a blue flame, roughly 100 feet in length, which changed to white at the end. The pilots estimated the object's speed to be in excess of 500 mph and noted that it appeared to have mass and shape, despite the difficulty of observing it against the background due to moonlight. The object remained in sight for approximately 5 to 10 seconds before disappearing. The pilots, both experienced in night flying and familiar with flares, explicitly stated that the object did not resemble a jet aircraft or a flare. The reports were forwarded to the Directorate of Intelligence at Bolling Air Force Base, though there was a delay in processing the paperwork due to a misunderstanding of administrative procedures. The final Project 10073 record card categorizes the event as a 'Meteor observation,' despite the pilots' inability to identify the object.