Project 10073 Record — Hamburg, New York, 23 June 1966

On 23 June 1966, at approximately 0140Z, four witnesses in Hamburg, New York, observed a single, red-colored object in the western sky. The observation lasted between three and four minutes. The witnesses described the object as having a brilliant red color, similar to an automobile tail light, and estimated its size to be approximately three to four feet in diameter. The object was observed moving in a northward direction, at one point appearing to turn and back up. The observers reported hearing no sound during the event. The witnesses were inside their home, near an open window, when they first noticed the light. The primary witness, a 61-year-old woman, noted that she was initially startled by the experience and later reported it to the Air Force. The official conclusion reached by Major Hector Quintanilla, Jr., Chief of Project Blue Book, was that the sighting was possibly an aircraft, as the description was deemed consistent with such an observation. The Air Force subsequently sent a letter to the witness on 6 September 1966, stating that the initial information provided was insufficient for a full evaluation and requesting that she complete an additional questionnaire (FTD Form 164). The file includes a photograph of the location and handwritten accounts from the witness detailing her emotional reaction and the circumstances of the sighting.