Project 10073 Record Card and Evaluation Report — Sandusky, Ohio, September 1, 1961

This document details the investigation of a UAP sighting reported on September 1, 1961, near Sandusky, Ohio. The witness, an engineer at Stromberg-Carlson, observed an ascending object moving WSW at approximately 1920 local time. The object was described as a blinking red and white light, roughly as bright as Venus, which left a trail of red-orange smoke and appeared to burn for two to five minutes. The witness, who was driving on the Ohio Turnpike, stopped to capture the event on 35mm color slides. The report includes a Project 10073 record card, correspondence from the witness to the Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and a formal Physics Laboratory Evaluation Report (ASRCP 62-4) regarding a physical specimen associated with the case. The evaluation of the physical sample (Artifact #341-15-479) revealed it to be non-homogeneous and man-made. Chemical analysis identified the presence of high-purity aluminum, polyisobutyl methacrylate, and slag, with a bayerite crystalline structure suggesting a reaction with water at low temperatures. The report concludes that the sample is not a batch of resin-based paint and that its specific origin cannot be determined from the chemical data alone. The accompanying film was reviewed but deemed to lack sufficient detail for a definitive analysis. The case file includes seven 8x10 photographs and the physical specimen, which was held in the custody of the Audio-Visual Division.