Project 10073 Record Card — Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 28 October 1957

On 28 October 1957, at approximately 10:30 local time, a civilian witness in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, reported observing five brilliant objects flying in a 'C' formation directly overhead. The witness, identified as a housewife, noted that the objects were traveling from East to West. During the observation, which lasted approximately four minutes, three of the objects reportedly broke away from the formation to follow a cargo plane, while the remaining two continued on a westerly course. The weather was described as very clear with no wind. Approximately 45 minutes after the initial sighting, the witness reported hearing the sounds of jet engines, although no aircraft were visible. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the objects were a flight of swept-wing fighter aircraft. This assessment was based on the fact that the sighting occurred in an area known for heavy military and civilian air traffic, and that such aircraft frequently operate in the region at high altitudes. The report includes teletype communications between various military units, including the 66th ACWRON at MacDill AFB and the 35th Air Division, documenting the incident and the subsequent evaluation.