Project 10073 Record — Dayton, Kentucky, 17 August 1968

This document contains a collection of records related to a UFO sighting reported in Dayton, Kentucky, on the night of 17 August 1968. The primary report, filed under Project 10073, details an observation made by several witnesses, including a 14-year-old girl, at approximately 2235 EDT. The witnesses described a triangular-shaped object, approximately the size of a house, hovering at a very low altitude of about 10 feet. The object was reported to have a silvery appearance, sharp edges, and a variety of lights, including a red light on top and spinning white, red, blue, and green lights on the bottom. The witnesses reported that the object made a 'swishing' sound and that it appeared to follow them slowly. When an airplane flew over, the object reportedly turned off its lights, slowed down, and almost stopped, only to resume its speed and lights once the airplane was out of sight. The witnesses eventually retreated into their home. The Air Force investigation, led by 2d Lt Carmon Marano and overseen by Lt Col Hector Quintanilla, concluded that the phenomenon was likely an aircraft with an advertising sign. The investigation noted that an aerial advertising plane owned by Dale Barn was operating in the Cincinnati, Ohio area that same weekend. Because Dayton, Kentucky, is located directly across the river from Cincinnati, the investigators determined that the sighting was consistent with the activities of such an advertising aircraft. The file includes multiple copies of the 'Sighting of Unidentified Phenomena Questionnaire' (AF Form 117) completed by the witnesses, as well as internal memoranda summarizing the investigation and the conclusion reached by the Aerospace Technologies Division.