Project 10073 Record Card and Related Correspondence — Andover, Massachusetts, August 1960

This document details a sighting of an unidentified flying object reported on August 26, 1960, in Andover, Massachusetts. A civilian witness, identified as a personnel manager, reported observing the object at approximately 1930 hours while in his yard with his wife and three children. The witness described the object as a silver, flat, and square craft with a short cigar-shaped nose and a dome or 'half globe' on the bottom of the fuselage that glowed with an orange or orange-yellow color. The object was estimated to be the size of a 'pursuit type' plane and traveled from East to West at approximately 300 miles per hour. The witness noted that the object descended from an altitude of 35,000 feet to 15,000 feet before being obscured by trees. The witness also observed two 'Piper Cub' type aircraft and a twin-engine aircraft flying in the same area. The report notes that the object left no vapor trail and made no sound. Following the report, an investigation by Special Agent Richard A. Holmes of the OSI was conducted. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force Cambridge Research Center and the Air Technical Intelligence Center was that the sighting was likely caused by an Air National Guard F-86H aircraft. These aircraft were stationed at Logan Airport and were known to carry underslung fuel tanks painted with orange 'Day-Glo' paint, which the investigators suggested accounted for the visual characteristics reported by the witness. The witness was described as providing information in a positive and clear manner, though no assessment of his reliability was made.