Project 10073 Record Card — Parkland, Maryland, 28 August 1952

On August 28, 1952, at 1645 hours, a member of the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington D.C. observed an unidentified aerial object over Parkland, Maryland. The witness, who was considered reliable, reported seeing a single, round, metallic-appearing object that was approximately half the size of a fighter aircraft. The object was observed for 30 minutes, during which time it moved in a straight line parallel to the earth at an altitude of approximately 5,000 feet. The witness noted that the object appeared to revolve slightly and glowed due to the reflection of the sun, but did not produce its own light or power. Three other members of the witness's immediate family also observed the object before it moved slowly to the north and disappeared from view at 1715 hours. The report indicates that no aerodynamic features, trails, or exhaust were noted, and no other aircraft were observed in the vicinity. The weather was described as clear with no clouds. Official evaluation of the incident by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that the source was an inexperienced observer and that the object was likely a balloon, noting that the sighting occurred within 15 minutes of a balloon release.