Sighting Report — Thaxton, Virginia, January 14, 1965

This document contains a sighting report from a civilian witness in Thaxton, Virginia, dated January 14, 1965. The witness reported observing a B-52 aircraft at an estimated altitude of 10 to 15 miles. Shortly thereafter, the witness observed a 'crazy looking cigar shaped thing' that appeared twice as large as the B-52, flying East at a speed estimated to be over 2,000 mph. The witness speculated that the object possessed a rear jet motor. The official Air Force evaluation concluded that the sighting was likely another conventional aircraft flying at a lower altitude, which created an optical illusion of greater size and speed. The report notes that the B-52 pilot did not report any unusual activity, leading investigators to assume the object was a conventional aircraft. The file includes correspondence addressed to Major Marton M. Jacke of the U.S.A.F. Pictorial Branch. Additionally, the document contains a separate, unrelated letter from a civilian dated October 1966, describing a previous sighting of what they believed to be a 'flying saucer' in October 1964, which they later re-evaluated as a cluster of thistle petals caught in a crosswind.