Project 10073 Record Card — 6 September 1954 Sighting, Washington D.C.

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype communications regarding an aerial sighting that occurred on September 6, 1954, in Washington D.C. A 27-year-old government employee reported observing a round, long, silver object at dusk. The witness described the object as having a flame at the rear with a smoke trail extending for approximately one-quarter mile. The object was observed moving slowly through a 40 to 50-degree arc before turning and disappearing at an altitude of 5,000 feet. The total duration of the sighting was estimated at four to five seconds. The weather conditions at the time were reported as clear and calm with unlimited visibility. In addition to the primary witness, a control tower operator at Washington National Airport reported seeing a vapor trail to the west approximately 15 minutes prior to the main report. The official conclusion recorded on the card is that the event was a meteor sighting. The teletype messages confirm the transmission of these details between various military commands, including the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Continental Air Defense Command (COMAIRDEFCOM) in Colorado, and the Tactical Air Command (COMTAC) at Langley Air Force Base. No additional information was available from the Washington Air Route Traffic Control (ARTC) center.