Project 10073 Record Card — Washington, D.C. Sighting, 4 February 1959

This document collection details the investigation of a photograph taken by a Portuguese visitor in Washington, D.C., on 4 February 1959. The witness, an employee of Companhia De Maquinas Automaticas, LDA., captured an image at approximately 2100 hours while visiting the U.S. The photograph, which included the Capitol building, featured a light-colored object in the sky that the witness did not notice at the time the picture was taken. The witness initially misidentified the Capitol building as the Pentagon in his correspondence with the U.S. Air Force.

The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base initiated an investigation under Project 10073. Initial analysis was hampered because the provided photograph had been printed with extreme contrast, resulting in a lack of gray tones. Consequently, the Air Force requested the original negative from the witness. Upon receipt and subsequent microscopic examination by the Photo Analysis Branch, the ATIC concluded that the object was an aircraft. Internal notes suggest that the image was likely a reflection of one of the many lights present in the area at the time. The Air Force maintained communication with the witness throughout the process, eventually returning the negative to him in Portugal. The file includes various internal memoranda, correspondence with the witness, and a record card summarizing the incident.