Project 10073 Record: Unidentified Flying Objects, Washington National Airport, 12 May 1954

This document consists of a series of reports regarding an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) sighting at Washington National Airport on 12 May 1954. The primary report, filed under Project 10073, details an incident involving three members of the 1255th Air Police Squadron: A/1C Mason W. Augst, A/1C George F. Wright, and A/1C Elmer A. Cruver. The witnesses reported observing two bright, round, white objects, each approximately one foot in diameter, appearing over the horizon northeast of the airport. The objects were observed on three separate occasions between 0445Z and 0610Z. During these sightings, the objects were described as flying in formation, performing right-angle maneuvers, and eventually disappearing by fading from sight. Each individual sighting lasted approximately 45 seconds. The weather conditions were noted as clear with 2/10 cloud cover at 10,000 feet. The report was processed by the Intelligence Division of the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) at Andrews Air Force Base. Major John P. Daly, Jr., the Group Intelligence Officer, conducted follow-up interviews with the three witnesses. In his assessment, Major Daly acknowledged that the witnesses had been discussing 'flying saucers' prior to the event, which might have influenced their frame of mind. However, he emphasized that the men were experienced in their duties and not new to the job. Consequently, he concluded that a certain amount of reliability should be attributed to their accounts. The official conclusion for the incident was recorded as 'UNIDENTIFIED'. The documentation includes formal correspondence from Major Robert D. Vocke of the USAF, confirming the submission of the report in accordance with Air Force Regulation (AFR) 200-2.