Air Intelligence Information Report: Unidentified Flying Object, Eau Gallie, Florida, 4 January 1953

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report dated 9 January 1953, concerning a sighting of an unidentified aerial object near Eau Gallie, Florida, on 4 January 1953. The witness, a civilian employee at the Patrick Air Force Base photo lab, reported observing the object at approximately 2345Z while on his property near US Route 1. The witness described the object as diamond-shaped, similar to a B-29 but no larger than a B-36, with a non-descriptive gray color and no metallic sheen. He noted between four and ten reddish-blue lights on the lower surface. The object was estimated to be at an altitude of 500 to 700 feet, traveling at a speed of 500 mph or more, and made no sound. The observation lasted approximately two to three seconds as the object approached from the northwest and departed in a bank to the southwest. The weather was reported as cold and clear with little or no wind. The report includes a formal testimony from the witness, who provided details about his background, noting extensive travel by airplane and familiarity with aircraft at Patrick Air Force Base. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center was that the object was likely a meteor, with the perceived bank attributed to an illusion. The report contains several enclosures, including the witness's personal statement, an aeronautical chart with plottings, and a sketch of the object. The document is marked as unclassified and includes metadata regarding its declassification under DOD Directive 5200.10.