Project 10073 Record — Fairfax, Virginia, 7 February 1969

This document contains a Project 10073 record regarding a UFO sighting reported in Fairfax, Virginia, on February 7, 1969. The witness, an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Northern Virginia Community College and a retired Air Force officer with 22 years of service, observed a large, glowing, yellowish light at approximately 7:05 PM. The object was described as moving in a zig-zag course from west to east at an altitude of about 30 degrees above the horizon. The witness noted that the object brightened before suddenly exploding and bursting into flames, which he described as a wall of fire. The observation lasted approximately 90 seconds. The witness reported the incident to the Fairfax County Police and the FAA Flight Service at National Airport, neither of which had other reports. He subsequently contacted Andrews AFB to file an official report. In his questionnaire, the witness explicitly stated that he did not believe the object was anything unusual, noting his familiarity with UFO reports from his military background. The official Air Force conclusion, signed by Lt. Col. Hector Quintanilla, Jr., identified the phenomenon as a hot air garment bag balloon, noting that the description was consistent with past sightings of such objects.