Project 10073 Record Card — Springfield, Massachusetts, 19 June 1961

This document consists of a Project 10073 Record Card and associated military correspondence regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon sighting in Springfield, Massachusetts, on 19 June 1961. The primary witness, identified as a member of the MOSIC Combat Intelligence unit at the 509th Bombardment Wing, Westover AFB, observed a stationary object for approximately three and a half hours while at a drive-in theater. The witness described the object as resembling a three-quarter moon, orange in color, and roughly the size of a half-dollar. The object exhibited a cyclical behavior, diminishing in size until it disappeared over a five-minute period, only to rapidly regain its original size. The observation occurred between 2100 local time and 0024 local time. Military investigators from the 57th Air Division and ATIC evaluated the report. Meteorological data indicated the presence of high, thin cirrus clouds and a temperature inversion between 8,000 and 9,000 feet. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the object was not a physical craft but rather a reflection of an unknown light source off the temperature inversion layer. The report notes that the object remained stationary throughout the duration of the sighting, which supported the reflection hypothesis. Correspondence between Westover AFB and ATIC confirms the timeline of the event and clarifies that the sighting was continuous. A final note suggests that the witness may have been observing a ceiling light distorted by atmospheric conditions.