Unidentified Flying Objects - Sampson Air Force Base, New York - 9 October 1953

This document details an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) sighting reported on October 9, 1953, at Sampson Air Force Base, New York. The primary witness, a civilian, reported observing a bright, silver, circular object traveling from the northeast to the southwest at an estimated altitude of 10,000 to 12,000 feet. The witness described the object as appearing to travel on its edge and noted a loud, continuous, roaring sound that persisted even after the object was no longer visible. The witness, who was hanging laundry at the time, reported the incident to the base authorities after discussing it with a neighbor. A second witness, a nine-year-old child, also reported seeing a similar object, which she described as being the size of a silver dollar. The official investigation, conducted by Major Earl E. La Clair of the Air Intelligence wing, categorized the witnesses as having low reliability—one being a college student and the other a child. The report concludes that the object was likely an aircraft and that the descriptions provided by the witnesses were potentially exaggerated. Weather conditions at the time were described as hazy with 10 miles of visibility. The documentation includes a formal letter from the 3650th Military Training Wing to the Air Technical Intelligence Center, along with the original witness report and an Air Intelligence Information Report (AF Form 112). The incident was processed in accordance with Air Force Letter (AFL) 200-5, which governed the reporting of unidentified aerial phenomena at the time.