Incident Report: Sighting of Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon, Key West, Florida, 19 June 1953

On 19 June 1953, at approximately 1913 EST, Chief Radio Electrician Paul M. Leino of the U.S. Navy, while fishing in a skiff near Marathon, Florida, observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. Accompanied by his wife and in the presence of another fishing boat, Leino witnessed a semi-circular, yellow-green light emerge from the sky. The object, which Leino estimated to be 600 feet in length, appeared to 'focus' its light toward the observers before moving on a 255-degree course. The phenomenon remained illuminated for approximately three seconds, followed by periods of darkness, before making a 90-degree turn and disappearing behind a cloud bank. Leino emphasized the absolute silence of the object and its high speed, which he estimated at 3,400 mph. The report was investigated by 1st Lt. Donald J. Twombly of the 456th Troop Carrier Wing, who noted that Leino was a sophisticated and reliable observer. Despite the detailed account, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that the five-second duration of the sighting was insufficient for an accurate assessment. ATIC suggested the possibility that the object was an aircraft that had flown toward and then away from the observers, potentially creating the illusion of the observed behavior. The investigation included checks with local naval operations to determine if any aircraft were operating searchlights in the area, but no such activity was confirmed. The case was eventually filed under Project Blue Book, with the official conclusion remaining that the observer had witnessed an unidentified object that was not recognized by him.