Project 10073 Record Card and Staff Message — Ludlow, Massachusetts, 17 January 1963

On 17 January 1963, at 0055Z, a civilian witness in Ludlow, Massachusetts, observed an unidentified aerial object for approximately 12 minutes. The witness, an unemployed shipping clerk, described the object as a red point of light, similar in size to a pinhead, which varied in intensity from brilliant to invisible. The object was first observed at an elevation of 30 degrees and an azimuth of 135 degrees, and it disappeared at an elevation of 80 degrees and an azimuth of 90 degrees, exhibiting a rising, northward flight path. The witness reported that the object appeared to be on a straight, climbing path. The sighting was also reported by two other individuals in the same area. The report was investigated by TSGT Melvin Lieberman of the 99 Bomb Wing at Westover Air Force Base. The investigation considered the possibility of a T-33 aircraft from Westover, but this was ruled out based on the aircraft's takeoff direction and traffic pattern. Satellites were also deemed unlikely due to the object's northward motion. The final official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the sighting was likely an aircraft observed near a cirrus cloud deck, with the witness misinterpreting a rotating beacon as a twinkling or varying light source. The witness's report of a blinking red light was noted, but the observer's specific description was contrasted with the official analysis.