Project 10073 Record Card — Washington, D.C., 01 May 1957

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype report concerning a sighting that occurred on May 1, 1957, in the Washington, D.C. area. The report details a sighting of a single, round, bright electric blue object with a tail, which was observed moving from East to West in a straight flight path for a duration of two or three seconds. The primary witness identified in the report is a Captain Podoll, who observed the object while flying in the vicinity of Fredericksburg, Virginia, at approximately 02/0259Z. Captain Podoll reported that he observed the object until it burned out. A civilian witness also reported seeing an aircraft moving fast to the West at approximately the same time. The military observer noted that the object appeared directly overhead while he was in a landing pattern. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) is that the sighting was caused by a meteor, citing the object's description, duration, and flight path as evidence. The document includes references to photographic materials, specifically noting that still photos were reproduced from 35mm film related to the incident. The report is marked as unclassified and was distributed to the Director of Intelligence at HQ USAF, the Air Defense Command, and the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.