Project 10073 Record Card and Associated Correspondence — Westminster, MD, January 1954

This document contains a Project 10073 record card and supporting documentation regarding a series of aerial sightings reported in Westminster, Maryland, on January 10, 1954. The primary report, filed by the 647th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, details observations made by three witnesses—a housewife, a farmer, and an electrician—who reported seeing a round, spinning object in the sky. The witnesses described the object as having a green and red appearance, moving erratically, and at one point appearing to explode. One witness provided a detailed, handwritten account describing the object as a 'spinning, crazily whirling white-yellow disc' that emitted sparks and smoke. The witness also noted that the object appeared to dip and sway, and that they observed it for approximately 25 minutes. The military investigation, conducted by the Air Technical Intelligence Center, concluded that the sightings were likely misidentifications of natural phenomena and routine activity. Specifically, the report identifies a meteor and the planet Jupiter as potential causes for the sightings. Furthermore, the military assessment suggests that other observed lights were likely the navigation lights of routine aircraft traffic, which were misidentified by the observers due to poor visibility conditions, including a haze layer and mist in the area. The document includes a formal transmittal letter from the 647th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron to the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, dated February 18, 1953 (noting the 1954 incident date), along with the original record card, witness statements, and a diagram of the observed object. The military authorities explicitly stated that the reliability of the witnesses could not be judged, though they noted the possibility that the information provided was true as perceived by the observers.