Project 10073 Record Card — Oradell, New Jersey, September 1962

This document archive details a series of UFO sightings centered around the Oradell Reservoir in New Jersey, beginning on September 15, 1962. Three boys reported seeing a round object with fins on the top and bottom, approximately the size of a Piper Cub, hovering over the reservoir before dropping into the water and subsequently rising to an altitude of 500 feet. The object then disappeared heading south. The incident triggered a significant public reaction, leading to a 'flurry' of reported sightings in the region throughout the following week. Local police, including the Oradell and Haworth departments, were involved in the initial investigation, and the Air Force was notified. The Foreign Technology Division (FTD) of the Air Force Systems Command evaluated the report, concluding that the limited data provided by the witnesses made a definitive identification impossible, but suggested that a bird was the most logical explanation. The FTD noted that the angular size of the object, if it were a bird at a distance of 150 feet, would match the angular size reported by the witnesses. The archive includes various documents, including a Project 10073 record card, police investigation reports, correspondence between the Air Force and the public, and press clippings from 'Saucer News' and other sources. These materials highlight the tension between public interest, media coverage, and official military assessment. While the Air Force maintained a skeptical stance, citing the potential for misidentification, the local community and various witnesses remained convinced of the unusual nature of the events, with reports of banana-shaped tracks in nearby Emerson and sightings of strange aerial objects by multiple witnesses, including police officers.