UFO Sighting Report — Newark, Ohio, March 14, 1968

On March 14, 1968, an 18-year-old student in Newark, Ohio, observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon between 7:02 P.M. and 7:06 P.M. EST. The witness, who was interested in aerospace engineering, described the object as a small, dull reddish-white glow that grew into a bright white light, appearing four to five times the size of a bright star. The object moved from east to west at a low altitude, estimated between 300 and 650 feet above the ground, and passed near the WCLT Radio station tower. The witness attempted to photograph the object, but the resulting film showed nothing, which the witness attributed to the object being too dim for their camera. The witness also noted that the object's irregular flashing was likely caused by telephone and electric wires blocking the view. The witness explicitly ruled out conventional aircraft, meteors, or satellites based on the lack of sound, the absence of standard navigation lights, and the object's speed and behavior. The Air Force investigation, coordinated through the Foreign Technology Division and the Environmental Technical Applications Center, concluded that the object was a 'Possible HOT AIR BALLOON.' The documentation includes the completed Sighting of Unidentified Phenomena Questionnaire (AF Form 117), correspondence regarding weather data requests, and the witness's detailed narrative account of the event.