Declassified UFO / UAP Document
PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD — 22 September 1961
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AI-Generated Summary
A 1961 sighting of a light in Washington, D.C. was investigated by the Air Force but closed as 'Insufficient Data' due to a lack of follow-up information. The report suggests the object was likely an astronomical body.
This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and a transmittal memorandum from the Department of the Air Force, dated September 27, 1961. The report concerns a sighting that occurred on September 22, 1961, in Washington, D.C., at 0700Z. A civilian witness reported observing a single light in the eastern sky for a duration of 25 minutes. The light was described as appearing to ascend and descend. The witness explicitly discounted the possibility that the object was a falling star or a flare from an aircraft. The Air Force investigation, conducted by the Directorate of Special Investigations (IG), concluded that the case should be classified as 'Insufficient Data.' The official reasoning provided was that the duration of the sighting and its stationary location in one direction suggested the observation of an astronomical body. However, the report notes that critical information, such as the specific location and the manner of the object's disappearance, was not included in the initial letter. Due to a delay in receiving the report, no follow-up investigation was conducted. The transmittal memo from Lieutenant Colonel J. C. Cole confirms that the files of the Directorate contained no additional information regarding the sighting or the entity referred to as 'CATEFS.' The document is marked 'FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY' and includes a reference to an FBI letter dated September 27, 1961.
Duration of the sighting and the location in one direction tends to indicate the observation of an astronomical body.
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Official Assessment
Duration of the sighting and the location in one direction tends to indicate the observation of an astronomical body.
The sighting was categorized as insufficient data due to a delay in the receipt of the initial report, which prevented follow-up attempts. The witness discounted the possibility of a falling star or flare from an aircraft.