UFO Sighting Report - Washington, D.C., September 1958

This document contains a formal UFO sighting report and subsequent correspondence between a civilian witness and the U.S. Air Force's Project Blue Book. The witness, a legal secretary residing near Cathedral Avenue in Washington, D.C., reported observing an unidentified object in mid-to-late September 1958. While sitting on her balcony between 8:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., she initially noticed a bright star-like object in the southwestern sky. After observing it for at least one minute, she noted that the object moved slightly to the west before proceeding in a northerly or northeasterly direction. She described the object as moving swiftly and silently, appearing like a small lamp or a bright spark, and estimated its altitude to be comparable to that of a commercial aircraft. She explicitly noted the absence of engine noise, exhaust trails, or visible structure. The witness did not report the incident until January 1965, after reading a newspaper article inviting reports on UFO sightings. She initially speculated that the object might have been a secret Air Force device or the Sputnik satellite, though she noted it seemed too close for the latter. The Air Force responded to her report on March 9, 1965, via a letter signed by Major Hector Quintanilla, Jr., Chief of Project Blue Book. The official evaluation stated that while the exact time and date were insufficient to definitively rule out a satellite, the reported duration of one minute and the object's appearance were more consistent with a high-flying aircraft. The file includes the completed U.S. Air Force Technical Information questionnaire, which provides detailed responses regarding the witness's location, the weather conditions (clear and dry), and the object's behavior. The witness maintained that the object was extraordinary but not frightening, and she sought an explanation from the Air Force to determine if it posed an aviation hazard.