Project 10073 Record Card: Donahue Sighting, Old Greenwich, Connecticut, August 1955

This archive documents the investigation of a UFO sighting reported in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, on August 30, 1955. An 18-year-old student submitted a colored film transparency of what he purported to be a 'flying saucer.' The observer described the object as a 150-foot diameter, light-metal, disc-shaped object that moved from the southwest to the northeast over a 15-minute period. He claimed to have captured the object on film using a Pony 35mm camera. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) initiated a formal investigation, assigning the case to Project 10073. Photo specialists from both ATIC and the Wright Air Development Center (WADC) conducted independent, microscopic, and macroscopic examinations of the film. Their consensus was that the image was not an aerial object but rather a flaw in the film emulsion, specifically identified as a 'bromide drag' or a chemical reaction occurring during the color processing phase. The investigators noted significant inconsistencies in the observer's report, particularly the discrepancy between the claimed 150-foot size of the object and its appearance as a tiny pinhead on the film. The report also highlights the Air Force's frustration with the 'UFO Research Council' of Cleveland, which had been aggressively demanding information on specific cases. ATIC officials concluded that the submission was a deliberate hoax, with the source likely discovering the flaw on the slide and subsequently fabricating a UFO report to accompany it. The document includes correspondence between Captain George T. Gregory and Dr. J. Allen Hynek, who was consulted to assist in interviewing the observer. However, attempts to contact the observer at the provided address were unsuccessful, as no such person was known to reside there. The file also contains extensive documentation regarding a separate, highly publicized incident in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, involving reports of 'little green men' or 'goblins' attacking a farmhouse. The Air Force treated the Hopkinsville incident with skepticism, noting that it was never officially reported to them and suggesting that the reports were likely the result of mass hysteria, misidentification of local wildlife (such as monkeys), or a hoax. The archive reflects the Air Force's policy of maintaining secrecy regarding UFO sightings while simultaneously attempting to debunk reports that threatened to generate public alarm or media scrutiny.