Sighting Report — Capitol Heights, Maryland, 1 October 1953

This document is a field report regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon sighting that occurred on October 1, 1953, in Capitol Heights, Maryland. The report details an observation made at approximately 1930 hours local time by a female employee of the USAF DCS/O Programming division and her husband. The witnesses reported seeing two round, starlike or white objects, each estimated to be three times the size of an average star or the size of a small grapefruit. The objects were initially observed in a side-by-side formation, approximately 50 feet apart, before they appeared to drift apart and move independently. The flight path was described as straight and level, with a speed comparable to a piston-engine transport aircraft. The witnesses reported no sound, exhaust, or glow associated with the objects. The observation lasted approximately 30 seconds under dark, clear weather conditions with unlimited ceiling. The report notes that the objects were observed at an elevation of 99 degrees, approaching from the north or New York, and eventually disappeared behind trees at an elevation of approximately 45 degrees. The sighting was interrogated by Captain C. L. Lewey, a duty officer with AFOIN. The official conclusion provided in the document suggests that the observer, facing east with the sun behind her in the west, likely witnessed two high-flying jet aircraft reflecting sunlight. The document includes administrative markings indicating it was unclassified and subject to standard downgrading procedures.