Project 10073 Record — Montgomery, New York, 12 October 1965

On 12 October 1965, a 16-year-old student and member of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) reported observing an unidentified flying object near Montgomery, New York. The witness described the object as a round, flashing red light that resembled a revolving wheel. He reported that the object made a deep whining sound when overhead, but was silent at a distance, and estimated its altitude between 5,000 and 6,000 feet. The object was observed for approximately 10 minutes, during which it descended and ascended rapidly, circled, and moved from the east to the northeast. The witness reported the incident to his CAP leader, who advised him to contact Stewart Air Force Base. Capt. David W. Evans of the 4603d Air Base Group conducted an informal investigation. He consulted with the Base Weather Station, Stewart Tower, and RAPCON Control. RAPCON confirmed that a CH3C helicopter was operating in the area from 1925L to 2051L, which encompassed the time of the sighting. The helicopter was performing low approaches on runway 09 and was equipped with an anti-collision light. Based on these findings, Capt. Evans concluded that the object sighted by the witness was the CH3C helicopter. This conclusion was supported by 2nd Lt. Thomas S. Waller of the 4713th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron, who also believed the witness had observed the helicopter.