PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - 9 July 1954 - Manston, England

On July 9, 1954, at 1456Z, a sighting of an unidentified aerial object occurred near Manston, England. The witness, Captain Thomas Alfa Feeley, a navigator with the 9th Air Rescue Group, reported observing a round, white object through the window of an aircraft. The object was described as performing an almost vertical ascent at a speed deemed too rapid for a jet. The duration of the observation was approximately three seconds. The sighting was reported via cable (JFLGN 28) from the 66th Air Rescue Squadron at Manston to various commands, including CINCUSAFE, the Director of Intelligence at HQ USAF, and the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson AFB. The report notes that the observer is considered a reliable source with significant flying experience. Meteorological data for the area was consulted, and it was determined that there were no unusual weather phenomena or weather balloon releases in the area that could account for the sighting. The official conclusion reached by the evaluating office was that there was insufficient data to provide a definitive explanation for the object, and that the information available was not enough to preclude considerable doubt regarding the nature of the sighting.