Project 10073 Record — Sighting Near Cincinnati, Ohio, 23 January 1968

This document details a UFO sighting reported on 23 January 1968, near Cincinnati, Ohio. The primary witness, Deputy Sheriff Thomas L. Barker of the Franklin County Sheriff's Department, reported observing two bright, bluish-white lights hovering in the southeastern sky for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. According to the report, the objects exhibited the ability to remain motionless and then move at extreme speeds, occasionally changing positions relative to one another. At their closest point, the objects appeared to be the size of a DC-3 aircraft, circular in shape, and silent, with a visible grid-like pattern on the nearest object. The sighting occurred during a period of deep temperature inversion, and the objects were seen in the general vicinity of Lockbourne Air Force Base, where two KC-135 aircraft were conducting instrument approaches. Tower and GCA (Ground Controlled Approach) radar queries at the time of the sighting yielded negative results. The official Air Force conclusion for the incident was 'Probable (AIRCRAFT),' citing the possibility of light reflections due to the temperature inversion and the presence of military aircraft in the area. The document includes correspondence between the Franklin County Sheriff's Department and the Air Force's Aerial Phenomena Office at Wright-Patterson AFB, as well as a newspaper article from the Columbus Dispatch detailing the event. The witness, who was also a part-time reporter for the Columbus Dispatch, expressed dissatisfaction with the initial handling of the report by Lockbourne AFB, leading to the subsequent involvement of Project Blue Book investigators.