Project 10073 Record — Falmouth, Mass, 1 April 1966

On April 1, 1966, at 2355Z, a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon was reported in Falmouth, Massachusetts, by two witnesses, including a 10th-grade student named Mike Leighton. The witnesses observed a single, disc-shaped object, described as having a shiny chrome color and being approximately the size of a golf ball. The object was observed for two minutes, during which it moved at a high rate of speed and performed a slight descent while traveling in a northerly direction. The observation was made visually, with one witness utilizing an 80-power Gilbert telescope. At the time of the sighting, there were three T-33 aircraft in the area. Meteorological conditions were reported as clear with light haze and high stratus clouds. Following an investigation by the Air Force, it was determined that the object was a weather balloon. The conclusion was based on the fact that weather balloons are released from Nantucket Island every six hours, and one such release occurred at the time of the sighting. The report was processed through the Air Force Staff Message Branch under Project 10073.