Project 10073 Record — Westhampton, Long Island, New York

This document is a Project Blue Book record concerning a series of unidentified aerial phenomena sightings reported by a 17-year-old student and part-time radio announcer in Westhampton, Long Island, New York, between October 27 and October 31, 1966. The witness reported seeing bright lights in the western sky that appeared white, red, and green, and which would hang in the sky for at least half an hour before dropping below the horizon. The witness described the objects as rotating lights and, on one occasion, observed several red lights moving at great speeds, with one white light appearing to hit a red light, causing it to veer northward. The witness also reported a cylinder-shaped object dropping from the sky near the Speonk to Moriches-Riverhead Road. The witness, who claimed to be a former plane spotter during World War II, stated they were familiar with aircraft lights and insisted these sightings were unusual. The Air Force, represented by Major Hector Quintanilla, Jr., Chief of Project Blue Book, responded to the witness on November 9, 1966, stating that the information provided was insufficient for evaluation and requesting the completion of an FTD Form 164. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 form suggests the sightings were likely the star Arcturus and aircraft, noting that Arcturus was at an elevation of 9 degrees and an azimuth of 290 degrees on the night of October 27, 1966, and would have set at approximately 1915 EST. The document includes internal instructions for Air Force personnel on how to handle such reports, emphasizing the use of AFR 200-2 and the importance of contacting the Operations Duty Officer for sightings involving tangible evidence.