Project 10073 Record: UFO Sighting, 18 August 1965, Sumner, Washington

This document contains a series of reports and correspondence regarding a UFO sighting that occurred on the night of 18 August 1965, near Sumner, Washington. A civilian witness, identified as Mr. Stafford, reported observing four round, orange-to-white objects for a duration of one hour and forty minutes. The witness, who was located on the east side of Lake Tapps, initially believed the objects were a fire. The objects were described as being in a formation of three near the ground and one in the sky, with a beam of light appearing to rise from them. The witness noted that the objects remained relatively stationary before rising rapidly from tree level to a high altitude without changing direction. The weather at the time was overcast with light rain and drizzle, with visibility between four and five miles. The 318th Fighter Interceptor Squadron submitted the report to the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) at Wright-Patterson AFB. Subsequent correspondence from the Deputy for Technology and Subsystems, Colonel Eric T. de Jonckheere, requested further clarification on the sighting, including the size of the objects compared to a full moon, the distance between the objects in terms of degrees of arc, and whether the local fire department in Buckley had been contacted. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 form is that the objects were 'Other (GROUND LIGHTS),' suggesting they were likely ground lights distorted by the poor weather conditions.