Project 10073 Record: Sighting in Winston Salem, North Carolina, 19 February 1967

This document is a formal record of a UFO sighting reported on February 19, 1967, in Winston Salem, North Carolina. The report, filed under Project 10073, details an observation made by three individuals, described as students and considered reliable, near Wake Forest College. The witnesses observed a single, yellowish-orange, grapefruit-shaped object for approximately eight minutes. The object was described as being very bright and stationary before performing an arc turn of 170 degrees and disappearing in place. The report was submitted by the 33 Air Division to various Air Force commands, including the Air Defense Command and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The investigation, conducted by Lt. Paul Jones, evaluated potential explanations for the sighting. While the possibility of a rotating beacon at a nearby airport reflecting off clouds was considered, it was ultimately ruled out due to visibility conditions. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the object was a hot air balloon. The report also provides meteorological data for the area at the time of the sighting, noting cloud cover and fog, and mentions that a weather balloon was released ten miles east of Winston Salem one hour prior to the sighting.