Project 10073 Record Card and Associated Correspondence — South Hadley, Massachusetts, 1 May 1961

This document collection details a UFO sighting reported on 1 May 1961, near Westover Air Force Base in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The primary witness was an 18-year-old student at Holyoke Trade High School. According to the report, the witness observed a bright white, silver, pea-sized object at approximately 1115 GMT. The object was initially sighted at an 80-degree elevation, moving from the south-southwest toward the northeast. The witness described the object's flight path as initially straight, followed by a series of very sharp, abrupt turns—specifically a left turn followed by a right turn—which the witness characterized as a 'dog leg' maneuver. The witness estimated the distance between these turns to be about four inches when held at arm's length. The entire sighting lasted between 20 and 30 seconds, ending when the object faded out and disappeared.

The report was investigated by TSGT Melvin Lieberman of the 99th Bomb Wing's Combat Intelligence Branch. Lieberman interviewed the witness and noted that the individual appeared sincere and was certain that the object was not a conventional aircraft or a weather balloon, both of which the witness was accustomed to seeing due to his proximity to Westover AFB. The military investigation included inquiries to the Springfield Bomb Plot (12 RBS site), which reported no relevant radar information. Further correspondence between ATIC (Air Technical Intelligence Center) and the 57th Air Division requested additional details regarding the object's azimuth, the extent of its maneuvers, and local weather conditions. The follow-up report confirmed the witness's account, noting that the object appeared to diminish in size immediately before disappearing. Despite the detailed testimony, the official conclusion remained that there was insufficient data to draw even tentative conclusions regarding the nature of the object. No temperature inversion layers were reported in the area, and no weather balloons were known to be in the vicinity at the time of the sighting.