Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting Report - SS MORMACPENN, June 1964

This document collection details a UFO sighting reported by the crew of the SS MORMACPENN in early June 1964. The primary witness, identified as the 3rd Officer (Lawrence), observed an object while the vessel was approximately 600 miles northwest of Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean. The object was described as a small white light that appeared to flash, exhibited erratic motion, and crossed its own path. The sighting lasted for eight minutes. The report was initially brought to the attention of the U.S. Consulate General in Durban by the ship's Captain on June 23, 1964, after he had been unable to contact U.S. Air Force personnel at Ascension Island. The report was subsequently forwarded through the Office of the Air Attache in Pretoria to the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The FTD requested that the 8th Air Force at Westover AFB contact the ship upon its arrival in Boston to obtain a completed FTD Form 164. The official evaluation by the FTD suggested that the object was likely the star Vega, noting that while the witness was a 3rd mate and should have been familiar with astronomical bodies, unusual atmospheric conditions might have caused the star to appear distorted, leading to the misidentification. The FTD concluded that the information provided was insufficiently detailed for a definitive evaluation.