Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — Metuchen, New Jersey, July 1961

This document collection details a UFO sighting reported by a civilian in Metuchen, New Jersey, on July 25, 1961. The witness, an employee of Allstate Insurance, observed an object at approximately 2030 hours that she initially mistook for a 'skywriter.' She described the object as golden in color, as bright as the sun, and shaped like a shark, noting that it lacked wings and emitted a fire-like exhaust. The object was observed for approximately ten minutes as it traveled from the direction of New Brunswick toward Newark. The witness reported the incident to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which subsequently forwarded the correspondence to the Air Force. The military processed the report under Project 10073. The official evaluation concluded that there was insufficient data to reach a definitive conclusion. However, investigators suggested that the object might have been a high-flying jet of late configuration, with the visual characteristics potentially explained by contrails and the distortion caused by the reflection of the setting sun. The Air Force requested that the witness and another observer complete detailed ATIC Form 164s to facilitate further investigation, as the initial letter was deemed limited in nature.