Project 10073 Record Card — Centerville, Queen Anne's County, MD, 20 March 1952

This document details a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon that occurred on March 20, 1952, at 2242 hours in Centerville, Queen Anne's County, Maryland. The witness, identified as a civilian businessman with prior Army experience and significant flight time, described observing a dull, orange-yellow, saucer-shaped light. The object was estimated to be two to three times the size of a standard aircraft wing light. According to the report, the object traveled at a very high rate of speed from the southwest to the southeast, positioned halfway between the horizon and the zenith. The witness reported that the object performed two vertical jumps, which were compared to the bounce of a basketball. No sound was heard during the observation, which lasted approximately 30 seconds. On May 1, 1952, Lieutenant F.J. Ruppelt conducted an interview with the witness to evaluate the sighting. The investigation considered three potential explanations: an aircraft, a meteor, or an unknown phenomenon. The report notes that the object's sudden vertical climb effectively ruled out the possibility of a meteor. Furthermore, the investigator calculated that if the object were four miles away, it would have needed to travel at 960 mph to cover the observed distance, a speed exceeding that of known aircraft operating in that area at night. Ultimately, the official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 card is 'No conclusion. UNKNOWN.'