Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting in Ocean City, New Jersey, 9 July 1961

On July 9, 1961, at 2155 hours local time, a 41-year-old US Army Lieutenant Colonel observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon while in Ocean City, New Jersey. The witness, who was getting into a convertible at the time, reported seeing a single, round light that appeared suddenly at 45 degrees elevation in the west and disappeared suddenly at 45 degrees elevation in the east. The object traveled in a straight course over the zenith. The witness described the light as being 'light peach and light green' in color, noting that it appeared to be the size of a large bomber at arm's length. The witness also mentioned that his wife believed she saw wings on the object, which was the same color as the light. The duration of the sighting was estimated at 5 to 10 seconds. The weather was clear, dry, and warm with a slight breeze. The witness, who had no prior experience with such objects, described the phenomenon as a 'flying object - unknown type or origin' and explicitly stated it was 'positive not A/C' (aircraft). However, the official evaluation provided on the Project 10073 record card concluded that the report was 'probably high-flying a/c,' noting that the color of the light was characteristic of multicolored lights blending together, which is typical of aircraft at high altitude. The report was forwarded by the 1127th USAF Field Activities Group at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, to the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for analysis in accordance with Air Force Regulation 200-2.