Project 10073 Record Card — Dayton, Ohio, 22 March 1957

This document contains a Project 10073 record card and related correspondence regarding a UFO sighting in Dayton, Ohio, on March 22, 1957. The sighting occurred between 1800 and 1810 local time. The witness described a single, white, kite-to-parachute-shaped object that remained mostly stationary at an altitude estimated between 4,000 and 4,500 feet. The object was visible for approximately 30 minutes. A letter from the editor of The Evening Leader in St. Marys, Ohio, dated March 25, 1957, inquired about the sighting, noting that observers described the object as having a red or ruddy-colored base with a bright, shiny top, and that it appeared to be miles away. The Air Force responded on April 5, 1957, through Captain Robert E. O'Connor, stating that the object was a weather balloon released locally just before sunset. The Air Force explained that such balloons can reach altitudes of four to six miles and exhibit unusual effects when observed under dusk conditions, particularly when the sun is below the horizon. The correspondence includes references to Project Bluebook Special Report #14 as a resource for the inquirer. The record card confirms the official conclusion that the sighting was most logically a weather balloon.