Project 10073 Record Card and Supplement to AF Form 112: UFO Sighting, Derwood, Maryland, 29 September 1958

This report details the investigation into a UFO sighting reported on 29 September 1958 near a Nike missile site in Derwood, Maryland. At approximately 0925Z, military personnel, including Sgt. Riney G. Farris and Pvt. Jerome A. Scanlon, observed a white, round object with a greenish hue and a whirring sound moving across the sky. The object appeared to break into smaller pieces before disappearing behind a mess hall. Shortly thereafter, a pulsating white light was observed on the ground, which witnesses initially believed to be the landing site of the object. The light remained visible for approximately one hour. Air Force investigators from Detachment 10, 1006th Air Intelligence Service Squadron, conducted a thorough field investigation. They interviewed witnesses, including the military personnel and a local farmer. The investigation concluded that the aerial phenomenon was a meteorite. The ground light was identified as a 200-watt floodlight on a nearby dairy barn. The farmer confirmed that the light had been burned out for some time and was only recently repaired, explaining why it had not been observed previously. The report notes that the fluctuating quality of the light was caused by air currents between the observation point and the barn. The investigation also addressed media inquiries, noting that the Washington Post and Associated Press had reported on the incident, initially misinterpreting the ground light as a 'mysterious object.' The Air Force clarified that the light was a mundane source, specifically a barn floodlight, and that no landing had occurred. The report includes statements from various witnesses and investigators, confirming that the aerial and ground phenomena were unrelated. The final conclusion of the investigators was that the incident was a combination of a natural meteor sighting and a coincidental ground light, and that no unusual or extraterrestrial activity had taken place.