Project 10073 Record — Salem, Mass. April 15, 1966

This document is a Project 10073 record concerning a UFO sighting reported by a retired U.S. Army Sergeant First Class on April 15, 1966, near the Peabody Shopping Center in Peabody, Massachusetts. The witness, who was stopped in traffic, observed an oval-shaped object that initially appeared to be a plane with cabin lights on. Upon closer inspection, the witness noted the object had a very bright bottom, a non-illuminated middle band, and a slightly less bright top half. The object displayed a flashing red light on the left, which later changed to a flashing green light as the object turned. Two bright white lights also became visible before the object moved away in a northwesterly direction. The witness estimated the altitude to be no more than 2,000 feet. The following day, while driving over a steel-beamed bridge in Danvers, the witness experienced a radio malfunction, characterized by whistling and static, which he associated with the previous night's sighting. The radio returned to normal operation approximately 50 feet past the bridge. The witness noted that he was a professional radio repairman and was certain the radio was functioning correctly otherwise. The report includes hand-drawn sketches of the object's light configurations. The official Air Force conclusion categorized the sighting as an 'AIRCRAFT,' with an evaluator noting that the lights were described exactly as an aircraft would appear when moving towards an observer and turning with landing lights on.