Project 10073 Record Card — 30 August 1957, Dayton, Ohio

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated technical information sheet detailing a UFO sighting reported by a USAF Major on 30 August 1957, near Dayton, Ohio. The witness, who was 39 years old at the time and employed in aircraft maintenance at Headquarters AMC, observed a single, round, pale reddish-yellow object that appeared like a falling star and traveled at a very high altitude toward the west. The observation lasted approximately three minutes. The witness described the object as having no sound and being distinctly an object rather than a star. The weather conditions were noted as dry and hazy with scattered clouds. The witness initially speculated the object could be a meteorite or a UFO. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the object was 'Possibly Aircraft.' The comments section of the record card explains that 100-series aircraft were in the area, and that previous reports indicated that jet exhaust from these aircraft, particularly when the afterburner is engaged, can appear to an observer as a round, reddish-yellow blob. The file also contains handwritten notes from a later date, referencing a discussion about Sputnik and the witness's observation, with a comment noting that if the object were a satellite, it could not have been seen with the naked eye.