Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — Harrow-Weald, England, April 1957

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and subsequent military correspondence regarding a UFO sighting reported on April 23, 1957, in Harrow-Weald, England. The witnesses, a civilian woman and a C/Sgt from the 75th Air Base Group, observed a round, red object that appeared three times the size of Jupiter. The object reportedly traveled in a straight line before maneuvering at sharp 45-degree angles, during which it changed color to bright orange. The observation lasted between 30 and 60 seconds. The initial report from the field suggested the object was not an aircraft, citing the lack of sound and the absence of additional lights. However, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base rejected this conclusion. In a message dated April 30, 1957, ATIC stated that the description of maneuvers was characteristic of aircraft at high altitudes. The evaluating officer noted that it is a common difficulty for laymen to properly describe moving objects against the night sky and that aircraft, particularly jets, can often be observed at high altitudes without being heard, sometimes appearing to change color due to atmospheric conditions or exhaust flames. Further investigation confirmed that there were no USAF or RAF aircraft on the reported course or track within the London Control Zone at the time of the sighting, and no radar plots were identified. Despite the lack of specific aircraft identification, the official conclusion remained that the sighting was characteristic of an aircraft.