Project 10073 Record: Richmond, Indiana Sighting, 24 May 1954

On 24 May 1954, at 1225 EST, a Major from the Aerial Reconnaissance Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base was conducting a photographic mapping mission near Richmond, Indiana, in a B-17 aircraft. During the flight, the observer sighted and photographed a large, high-intensity white light moving below the aircraft. The object was observed for approximately 45 seconds, during which it traveled a distance of six miles over the ground at a speed estimated to be twice that of the aircraft. The light was not visible to other crew members due to its position relative to the aircraft. Following the incident, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) conducted an intensive investigation. This included a thorough examination of the photographs, which indicated that the light was not a material object. Ground investigations, including checks of aircraft flights and radar operations in the area, produced negative results. The data was submitted to a panel of scientists, including astronomers, meteorologists, and a physicist. The panel concluded that the sighting was a very rare aerial phenomenon caused by the reflection of the sun's rays upon an ice-crystal platellete formation. The report includes various technical notes, calculations, and photographic evidence, including annotations on the photographs identifying the light and ground features. The case was later referenced in correspondence and by Capt. Edward J. Ruppelt in his book regarding UFO investigations. The final consensus within the ATIC files remained that the phenomenon was a reflection, with comparisons made to similar optical phenomena documented in scientific literature, such as those discussed by C.F. Squire.