Project 10073 Record Card — Tiffin, Ohio, 17 November 1957

On 17 November 1957, a science teacher in Tiffin, Ohio, reported observing a dull red object falling from the sky while driving. The witness claimed to have returned to the site the following morning and recovered a spherical object. The incident was reported to the Toledo Police and subsequently gained attention in local newspapers. Following press inquiries, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) and Project Blue Book investigators became involved. On 4 December 1957, investigators contacted the witness and obtained the object. Technical analysis conducted at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base revealed that the object was not an extraterrestrial or unidentified aerial phenomenon, but a deliberate hoax. The object was identified as a small radio receiver that had been bent into a 'V' shape to fit inside two thin copper shells, which were then bolted together. The radio components had been subjected to heat to scorch and blacken them, creating a contrast with the exterior of the sphere. A short piece of speedometer cable was attached to the exterior to simulate an antenna. Investigators noted that the radio tubes were American-made and the assembly used an American Standard Threads bolt. The case was officially closed with the conclusion that the incident was a staged event.