Project 10073 Record — Washington, D.C. Sighting, October 1966

This document contains a Project 10073 record regarding a civilian sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon in the Washington, D.C. area, specifically near the Eastern Shopping Center in Maryland, between October 28 and October 31, 1966. The witness, a 25-year-old male, reported observing a ball-shaped object on two separate occasions. During the first sighting, the object appeared as a blue-white flame resembling a torch. During the second, it appeared as a pure white object with streamers of brilliant colors. The witness described the object's movement as varied, jerky, and swift, noting that it appeared to be traveling toward the earth. The witness initially contacted the Washington Post, which referred him to the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian subsequently referred the communication to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Major Hector Quintanilla, Jr., Chief of Project Blue Book, responded to the witness on November 4, 1966, stating that the information provided in the initial letter was insufficient for evaluation and requesting the completion of FTD Form 164. The witness completed the questionnaire, providing detailed sketches and descriptions of the sightings, including the object's appearance relative to a tennis ball held at arm's length. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 form is 'Astro (METEOR)'.