Project 10073 Records — Dayton, Ohio, March-May 1968

This document collection comprises a series of Project 10073 records and associated correspondence from the United States Air Force Foreign Technology Division, specifically the Aerial Phenomena Office, regarding Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings reported in the Dayton, Ohio area during March 1968. The records detail multiple instances where civilians reported sightings to the Air Force. In response, the Air Force, under the direction of officers such as Lt. Colonel Hector Quintanilla, Jr. and Colonel James C. Manatt, requested that witnesses complete AF Form 117 to provide sufficient data for scientific evaluation. Several of these reports were ultimately categorized as 'Insufficient Data for Evaluation' because witnesses failed to return the requested documentation. In instances where data was provided, the Air Force frequently concluded that the sightings were likely aircraft, citing the high volume of air traffic arriving at or departing from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. One specific record from March 4, 1968, describes an object seen for 10 seconds that appeared as a white light, which stopped, moved upward, and then turned East with a white flame visible at the rear. Another record from March 7, 1968, notes two white lights moving from the Southwest to the North, followed by two orange lights moving from the South to the Northeast. The correspondence consistently emphasizes the Air Force's requirement for structured data to conduct investigations and the recurring conclusion that many sightings in the vicinity of Wright-Patterson AFB were consistent with conventional aircraft operations.