Project 10073 Record: Sighting Reports — Bethesda, Maryland, 19 March 1966

This document contains a series of U.S. Air Force Technical Information questionnaires and correspondence regarding multiple unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) sightings reported on 19 March 1966 in Bethesda, Maryland. The primary witness, a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, submitted three separate reports detailing his observations. The witness describes observing three distinct objects. The first object was observed for approximately 20 minutes, moving swiftly across the southern horizon without navigation or flashing lights. The witness, who had extensive flight experience, noted that the object's behavior—including hovering and zig-zagging—was inconsistent with known aircraft or satellite behavior. A second object was observed hovering over the northern horizon after the first had disappeared. A third event involved a large, bright object described as a 'meteor' that shed burning fragments before reaching the horizon. The witness expressed skepticism regarding conventional explanations such as 'swamp gas' or standard aircraft, noting that he had never seen such an object before. The reports include detailed sketches and narrative accounts of the sightings, as well as a letter dated 31 March 1966 addressed to Miss Sara Hunt at the Department of the Air Force, in which the witness expresses his desire for an open and scientific investigation into the phenomena. The official Air Force conclusion for the three reports was that they were a satellite, a star/planet, and a meteor, respectively.