UFO Sighting Report — Hyattsville, Maryland, 15 February 1965

On 15 February 1965, at approximately 3:30 p.m., a 15-year-old male witness observed an unidentified object while in a parking lot adjacent to Prince George's Plaza in Hyattsville, Maryland. The witness reported seeing a solid, metallic silver-gray object that lacked wings or visible windows. He estimated the object to be four to five times larger than a passenger jet. According to the report, the object exhibited erratic motion, including a descent, a period of hovering for approximately one minute, and a sudden burst of speed, before ascending into space until it was no longer visible. The witness noted that the object disappeared behind a building. The witness claimed there was no sound associated with the object. The Air Force conducted an evaluation of the report and concluded that the object was likely an aircraft. In a letter dated 22 March 1965, Lieutenant Colonel John P. Spaulding informed the witness that the Air Force had determined the object was an aircraft, though the report lacked sufficient information to identify the specific type. Internal analysis on the report form noted that the witness's concepts of distance, elevation, and duration were considered vague and inconsistent, and that the hovering behavior was likely an illusion.