Project 10073 Record — Ashby, Massachusetts, 25 April 1966

On the evening of April 25, 1966, two individuals traveling in an automobile on Route 31 from Fitchburg to Ashby, Massachusetts, observed an unidentified aerial object. The witnesses described the object as helicopter-shaped, featuring fire or flames emitting from its tail section and an open-mouthed underside. The object reportedly swooped down to an altitude of approximately 100 feet above their vehicle, causing the occupants to become near-hysterical. A bright bluish light appeared to dominate the object, though no sound was heard, which the witness suggested might have been due to the noise of their vehicle traveling at 40 miles per hour. The object subsequently accelerated at extreme speeds and disappeared over or around Mt. Watatic. The incident was reported to the Ashby Civil Defense Department, which forwarded the information to the Air Force. The Air Force attempted to follow up by sending an FTD Form 164 to the primary witness via the Ashby Civil Defense Director, Thomas J. Walker. However, the form was not returned within 30 days. Consequently, the Air Force concluded that there was insufficient data to conduct a formal evaluation of the sighting. The documentation includes correspondence between various military and civil defense entities, including the First US Army and the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, regarding the routing of the report.