Project 10073 Record Card — Old Bridge, New Jersey, 28 April 1956

On April 28, 1956, at approximately 8:30 p.m., a witness and his wife observed an unusual aerial phenomenon from their home in Old Bridge, New Jersey. The witness, a former technical representative for Lockheed Overseas Corp. and Curtiss-Wright Corp. with experience as a scientific consultant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described the object as appearing like a bright star that increased in white brilliance for over ten seconds before dimming to a dull red. The object remained motionless in the northeast for about 30 seconds before moving east to west. The witness noted that a transport aircraft was visible in the same line of sight, moving at a speed roughly double that of the object. After approximately 30 seconds of travel, the object accelerated to a tremendous speed and vanished. The witness, who had previously been skeptical of such reports, felt compelled to document the event after speaking with a radar operator who suggested that Fort Monmouth might have tracked the object. The witness provided a detailed map of the sky, sketches of the object's motion, and a completed U.S. Air Force Technical Information Sheet. In his correspondence, the witness emphasized his professional background in aviation to assert that the object was not a conventional aircraft, meteor, or comet. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) evaluated the report and concluded that the sighting was likely a jet aircraft utilizing an afterburner, which would account for the observed speed, the color change to red, and the rapid acceleration. The official response from the Air Force, dated May 11, 1956, acknowledged the report and thanked the witness for his initiative, noting that unidentified aerial phenomena are treated as potential threats to the United States until identified.