Project 10073 Record: Eastern Maryland Area Sightings, 1 August 1966

This document contains a collection of U.S. Air Force technical information questionnaires and internal correspondence regarding a series of unidentified aerial phenomena reported in the Eastern Maryland area on August 1, 1966. Multiple police officers from the Prince Georges County Police and the Maryland State Police reported observing various lights in the sky between approximately 0600 and 0900 hours. The witnesses described seeing red, white, green, yellow, and blue lights that exhibited erratic flight paths, including circular movements and stationary hovering. Some witnesses reported the objects moving at high speeds and disappearing over the horizon. Despite the duration of the sightings, which lasted up to three hours, Andrews AFB reported no corresponding radar returns. The Air Force investigation concluded that the reports were likely the result of witnesses observing stars, planets, and satellites visible during the early morning hours. A memorandum for the record dated August 1, 1966, provides specific astronomical data for Capella, Betelgeuse, Aldebaran, Pollux, Jupiter, Mars, and Venus, noting that Jupiter and Venus were particularly bright. The document also includes correspondence from Colonel Warren S. Wheeler to the Prince Georges County Police and Maryland State Police, requesting that the witnesses complete formal FTD Form 164 questionnaires to assist in the evaluation of the reports. The individual witness reports provide varying accounts, with some officers noting the objects appeared as bright lights and others describing them as stationary or moving in specific directions. The investigation ultimately determined that there was insufficient data for a comprehensive evaluation, as no definite shapes were observed and no radar confirmation was obtained.