Project 10073 Record Card — Grand Blanc, Michigan, 20 February 1960

This document collection details the investigation of a reported Unidentified Flying Object sighting by a civilian, Joseph Perry, in Grand Blanc, Michigan, in February 1960. Perry, a restaurant owner and amateur astronomer, captured photographs of the moon using a homemade telescope and a 35mm German Retina camera. Upon developing the film, he observed unusual blue spots on the slides, which he interpreted as a large, oval-shaped, fluorescent-glowing flying object. Perry estimated the object to be approximately 35 kilometers long and 10.5 kilometers wide. Seeking answers, Perry contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which subsequently referred the matter to the Air Force's Office of Special Investigations (OSI) and the Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The FBI's involvement became a point of contention, with Perry expressing frustration over the handling of his materials and the perceived lack of transparency. The case also drew the attention of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP), which questioned the Air Force's handling of the evidence. ATIC conducted a thorough photographic analysis of the slides. Their experts concluded that the blue spots were not genuine images of an object but rather emulsion flaws caused by contamination during the film's developing process. They noted that when viewed under a microscope, the spots showed clear indentations consistent with damage to the emulsion. Despite these findings, the case generated significant correspondence between the FBI, the Air Force, and the complainant, reflecting the broader government and public interest in UAP reports during this period. The Air Force ultimately returned the slides to Perry, maintaining their conclusion that the images were the result of technical errors rather than an aerial phenomenon.