UFO Observation, 20 November 1967 — Athens, Ohio

This document contains the records of a UFO sighting reported by a student at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, on 20 November 1967. The witness, a psychology major, observed an object at approximately 2355 hours. The witness described the object as a disc-shaped craft with a reddish-orange dome on top, a dark, almost black body, and a white light underneath. The object was observed for approximately 2-3 minutes, moving in a straight path from the east toward the north-northeast before dropping below the horizon. The witness estimated the speed to be between 10 and 15 mph and noted that the object made no sound. The sighting was reported to the Air Force, and the witness completed an AF Form 117 questionnaire. The Air Force, through the Aerial Phenomena Office (Project Blue Book), conducted an investigation into the report. Correspondence between the Air Force and the witness indicates that the Air Force requested additional information regarding the object's course and the witness's certainty of directions. The Air Force also requested weather data from the Environmental Technical Applications Center for the night of the sighting, which confirmed surface winds of 070 degrees at 6 knots at 2300L and 080 degrees at 7 knots at 2400L. Ultimately, the investigation concluded that the object was not an unidentified aerial phenomenon but rather a 'homemade apparatus using candles and plastic sheets,' a common explanation for such sightings in the area at the time. The witness expressed regret for the inconvenience caused by the report.