Air Intelligence Information Report: 3D-UFOB-3-56

This Air Intelligence Information Report, dated March 19, 1956, details an investigation into an unidentified flying object sighting that occurred in Watertown, New York, on March 10, 1956. The report, prepared by 2nd Lt. James F. Barton of the 4602d AISS, documents the accounts of three primary witnesses: a high school student, a housewife, and a production engineer. All three witnesses were summoned by the student to observe a bright, triangular-shaped object in the western sky. The witnesses described the object as having a bright white color with a red dot in the center, appearing to turn over and over, and changing in size. The observations were made through window glass using high-powered French binoculars. The investigation included supplementary efforts to verify the sighting, including checks with the 655th AC&W Squadron, which reported negative radar results, and the CAA Routing and Control Station at Watertown Airport, which reported no unusual phenomena. Additionally, Dr. Fredrickson of the Syracuse University Observatory provided expert input, noting that Venus is often seen in the western sky at that time of year, appearing reddish near the horizon and often mistaken for an unusual phenomenon due to its brilliance. The preparing officer concluded that the sighting was likely a misinterpretation of the planet Venus, citing the object's position in the western sky, the witnesses' limited viewing conditions through window glass, and the lack of corroborating radar data. The approving officer, Lt. Col. Ralph P. Slater, concurred with this assessment, stating that the descriptions definitively indicated a misinterpretation of Venus.