Project 10073 Record Card — Bloomfield, Connecticut, 4 January 1960

On 4 January 1960, at approximately 7:00 PM, a witness in Bloomfield, Connecticut, observed a yellow-orange light in the northwestern sky. The witness, a technical author for the Hamilton Standard Division of United Aircraft Corp., reported that the object moved slowly from the northwest toward the west over a period of 30 to 40 seconds before stopping. The object appeared circular and was described as being slightly brighter than a first-magnitude star. After approximately 60 seconds of observation, the object's intensity decreased until it was barely visible, and it subsequently disappeared. Shortly after the disappearance, the witness heard a low, rumbling sound lasting about five seconds, which they compared to thunder. The witness noted that the night was clear and cool, and they were in a rural area with low ambient noise. The witness later submitted a detailed report to the U.S. Air Force, including a narrative of the event and a completed questionnaire. The witness also provided a personal account of how a lapse in memory regarding a library card led them to be outside at the exact moment of the sighting, which they described as an interesting coincidence. The Air Force investigation, conducted by Major Lawrence J. Tacker, concluded that the sighting was likely a jet aircraft. The report suggests that the observed lights were consistent with the tail lights of a jet, which can be visible from approximately 60 degrees to either side of the aircraft's rear. The rumbling sound heard by the witness was attributed to the same aircraft. The case was processed under Project 10073, and the final assessment categorized the object as a probable aircraft.