Project 10073 Record Card — Silver Spring, Maryland, 11 January 1961

This document is a Project 10073 record card and accompanying U.S. Air Force Technical Information Sheet detailing a UFO sighting reported by a Research and Development Engineer on January 11, 1961, in Silver Spring, Maryland. The witness, who was driving a Volkswagen on Quaint Acres Drive at approximately 8:20 PM, observed a bright, rapidly-flashing white light with a bluish tinge. The object moved at a very high speed at a constant low altitude in a straight line. The witness estimated the speed of the object to be between 500 and 600 mph and its distance at the point of closest approach to be about one block (1000-1500 feet). The witness noted the absence of any observable airframe, no red navigation lights, and no characteristic aircraft noise. The object eventually disappeared behind local obstructions. The witness, who had a background in engineering and physics, stated that the characteristics of the light and its high-speed, low-altitude flight were beyond his experience. The official evaluation by ATIC concluded that the report provided insufficient data for a definitive assessment. The investigator noted that the duration of the sighting (reported as 30 +/- 15 seconds) was likely an estimation by the witness, and that the sequence of events described would have been physically impossible to observe in the timeframe provided. Because there was only one witness and the data was deemed unreliable, the case was closed as having insufficient data for evaluation.