Project Blue Book Sighting Report — Kettering, Ohio, August 3, 1969

On August 3, 1969, at approximately 2200 EDT, an observer in Kettering, Ohio, reported a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The observer described the object as a point of light, orange-yellow in color, which appeared to move from the north toward the west-southwest. According to the witness, the object resembled a flare and exhibited unique behavior, including the shedding of 'pieces of fire' that drifted toward the ground and extinguished before impact. The witness noted that the object faded periodically and then reappeared, and at one point, it moved behind a tree. The duration of the observation was estimated to be between 3 and 5 minutes. The witness, along with three other individuals, submitted a formal 'Sighting of Unidentified Phenomena Questionnaire' to the Air Force. Following an investigation by the Aerial Phenomena Office of the Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Lt. Col. Hector Quintanilla, Jr. concluded that the sighting was consistent with reports of 'Garment Bag Hot Air Balloons.' The witness was notified of this conclusion in a letter dated August 25, 1969, which included an attached description of such balloons for reference.