Project 10073 Record Card — Philadelphia Airport, 12 October 1957

On 12 October 1957, at approximately 1520Z, a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon was reported in the vicinity of the Philadelphia Airport in Pennsylvania. The incident involved a single, very brilliant object that was observed diving vertically from a very high altitude before leveling off and disappearing to the south. The speed of the object was estimated by witnesses to be very great in comparison to jet aircraft operating in the same area. The report was documented via a military cable from NAS Willow Grove and recorded on a Project 10073 record card. Two visual sightings were reported from the ground by witnesses at 1523Q and 1535Q. The object was estimated to be over the North Philadelphia Airport and was observed from an address in Northeast Philadelphia, approximately two miles northwest of the airport. Weather conditions were reported as CAVU (Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited) with winds at 44,000 feet estimated at 230/70. Despite the visual reports, there was no radar confirmation or other reports of unusual activity in the area. The official conclusion noted that while the information was very limited, the sighting was possibly attributable to a jet aircraft operating over a crowded city and near a large airport. No physical evidence was recovered, and no further facts were established regarding the nature of the object.