Project 10073 Record — Middleboro, Mass. 21 July 1966

On July 21, 1966, at approximately 0820Z, a civilian witness named Benjamin Gibbs, a 57-year-old retired resident of Beach Street in South Middleboro, Massachusetts, observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The witness, who was looking out of a window upon arising in the morning, reported seeing a single teardrop-shaped object, described as being the size of a pea, exhibiting a blue-green glow. The object reportedly descended at a high rate of speed in an arc from the south to the north, moving instantaneously toward the northeast. The duration of the observation was estimated at two to three seconds. The weather conditions at the time were reported as clear and cold. The incident was formally reported to the Department of the Air Force under the provisions of AFR 200-2. The 551st AEWC&W Wing at Otis AFB, Massachusetts, conducted an inquiry into the sighting. As part of the investigation, a representative from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was consulted. The representative confirmed that there were no other sightings reported at that time and suggested that the object was likely a small meteor. The official record concludes that while the description is consistent with that of a meteor, the lack of conclusive evidence prevents a definitive identification of the object.