Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting near Dayton, Ohio, July 1952

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated field report detailing a sighting that occurred on the evening of July 28, 1952, southeast of Dayton, Ohio. A female witness reported that while driving, she observed a 'big ball of fire' that appeared to explode above and in front of her vehicle. She subsequently drove through the falling debris. A neighbor reported hearing a sound described as a 'sonic boom' at the time of the incident. The following morning, the witness reported that neighborhood children were picking up 'strange looking rocks' in the area, which caused the witness concern regarding potential radioactivity. On July 29, 1952, Major Friend and T/Sgt Bolien from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (W-P AFB) were dispatched to investigate the report. The investigation involved the collection of physical samples, which were subsequently submitted to the Smithsonian Institute for analysis. The official conclusion reached by the analysis was that the recovered pieces were 'coke,' a material used for surfacing secondary roads. The document also includes handwritten notes regarding a hole found in the ground, approximately 7 or 8 inches deep, which appeared to have come from the southwest, and mentions an artifact number 341-11-475 located in the artifact room.