Project 10073 Record — Sighting Report, 26 September 1965, Licking County, Ohio

This document is a collection of statements and reports regarding a UFO sighting on 26 September 1965 in Licking County, Ohio. The incident began when a deputy from the Licking County Sheriff's Office reported a bright, white, spherical object traveling at a high rate of speed. The report was relayed to the Lockbourne Air Force Base control tower. Several personnel at the base, including TSgt James M. Donovan, SSgt Palmer G. Pratt, A2C Edgel G. Groves, and A2C Floyd L. Claypool, provided individual statements describing their observations of the object, which they characterized as a white, circular, or spherical light that appeared to move in an arc from the south to the northwest. An aircraft, a C-47 (SN 51074), was airborne at the time and was requested to attempt an identification of the object, but the pilot, Captain John A. Dutton, was unable to positively identify it as an aircraft. The object was reported to have no navigation lights and to have faded out after several minutes. Following the initial reports, the 840th Combat Support Group conducted an investigation. A subsequent letter dated 12 October 1965 from Lt. Colonel Charles C. Smith to the FTD (Foreign Technology Division) at Wright-Patterson AFB clarified that further investigation with the Detroit Air Defense Sector resulted in a positive radar identification of the object as a SAC KC-135 aircraft. The report concludes that no UFO was observed on the radar scopes, effectively closing the investigation with an explanation.