Project 10073 Record — Sighting in Wayne, New Jersey, 11 January 1966

This document details a UFO sighting report from 11 January 1966 in Wayne, New Jersey. The witness, a newspaper editor, reported observing a bright, blue-white light resembling a burning magnesium or strobe light. The object was described as moving from the south-southeast, stopping, performing transverse movements, and then continuing out of sight toward the northwest. The witness estimated the speed to be comparable to that of a jet aircraft. The sighting lasted approximately 3-4 minutes under clear, dry weather conditions. The witness was in a car on a busy road at the time of the observation. Following the report, the Air Force conducted an investigation, contacting various military installations including McGuire AFB and Steward AFB. Major Harold J. O'Connell Jr. of the New York Air Defense Sector noted that there was no radar contact for the object. A secondary report indicated that other calls were received regarding sightings in the area that night. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the witness likely observed a jet aircraft, citing the high density of air traffic in the New York area and the witness's own comparison of the object to an aircraft strobe light. The case was subsequently closed as an aircraft observation.