UFO Sighting Report — Pleasantville, Pennsylvania, May 26, 1964

On May 26, 1964, at approximately 11:00 P.M., Rev. H. Curtis Shaw and Walter A. MacDonald were driving west on Route 36-27 near Pleasantville, Pennsylvania, when they observed a series of unexplained aerial phenomena. The sighting occurred in three distinct phases. Initially, they observed a brilliant white light in a field, which they described as being as bright as a flashbulb. Shortly thereafter, they observed a second, silver-white light, roughly the size of a basketball, hovering above the treetops. Finally, after driving further west, they encountered a stationary yellow-orange light in a field. The witnesses reported that this object appeared to be a perfect circle, hovered, bounced, and eventually ascended to approximately 25 feet before accelerating westward at a 'fantastic' speed and disappearing. The witnesses reported no sound associated with the objects. Rev. Shaw subsequently contacted NICAP and later wrote to his Congressman, Albert W. Johnson, expressing concerns about potential government censorship of UFO sightings. The correspondence was forwarded to the Air Force's Project Blue Book. Major Hector Quintanilla, Jr., responded on behalf of the Air Force, stating that they were unable to provide an explanation for the lights and confirming that the case was classified as 'unidentified.' Internal Air Force notes from a telephone interview with Rev. Shaw highlight the investigator's skepticism regarding the witness's ability to provide precise scientific descriptions and note inconsistencies in his account, though the official conclusion remained that the event was unresolved.