Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — Severna Park, Maryland, August 1957

This document collection details a sighting of two unidentified flying objects over Severna Park, Maryland, on August 14, 1957. The primary witnesses were a 35-year-old professional engineer and a minister, both of whom provided written statements to the 1001st Air Base Wing. The witnesses described seeing two brilliant, whiteish balls of light in the early evening sky. They reported that the objects were maneuvering, appeared to be at an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet, and made no sound. The engineer, who had prior experience with jet combustion experiments and tracer rounds, noted that the lights were brighter than the intensity seen in tailpipe jet experiments. The minister, who was with the engineer at the time, corroborated the account, noting that the objects appeared to loop and climb before disappearing behind clouds. The official Air Force response, documented in a Project 10073 record card and internal memos, concluded that the objects were aircraft reflecting the sun's slant rays. This conclusion was supported by the fact that no other reports were received from radar units or other military observers in the area, which was described as being under 24-hour radar surveillance. An internal memo for the file expressed skepticism regarding the witnesses' reports, noting the lack of radar confirmation and the absence of any other sightings in the area at that time. The documents include the original record card, a cover letter from the 1001st Air Base Wing to the Air Defense Command, and the personal statements of the witnesses.