PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - 12 February 1957

On February 12, 1957, at 1620 local time, a 16-year-old high school student observed an unidentified object near Floyd Bennett Naval Air Base in New York. The witness, who observed the object for approximately one hour and twenty minutes, described it as oval-shaped, white, and roughly the size of a quarter when viewed through binoculars. The object was reported to be traveling from the North to the Southwest. The witness also noted a haze at one end of the object, which was estimated to be half the size of the object itself. Four photographs were taken using a 35mm camera. Military intelligence and flight service personnel reviewed the report, noting that the object's flight path and speed were consistent with wind conditions at altitudes between 10,000 and 16,000 feet. Based on the duration of the sighting, the shape, and the correlation with wind data, the official conclusion reached by the investigating authorities was that the object was undoubtedly a balloon.