Report of Unidentified Flying Object

This document is a report concerning an Unidentified Flying Object sighting that occurred on December 8, 1956, at 0104 hours, in the vicinity of Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. The observer, an employee who was aware of the approximate launch time of a test vehicle, described seeing a red flare with two tails of the same color protruding from each side of the spot to the south. The object was initially sighted at an altitude estimated between 15,000 and 20,000 feet, moving due north at an estimated speed of 750 to 1,000 miles per hour. After the missile passed, the object made a wide turn to the east and maintained a heading of 90 to 100 degrees until it was out of sight. The observer noted that weather conditions were clear with unlimited visibility. The report was submitted to the Communications Coordinator at CCAFB. The author, J. P. Andersen, suggested that optical coverage films of the test should be reviewed to confirm the sighting. Subsequent additional comments dated January 4, 1957, clarify that the missile was 30 miles high at the time, suggesting the UFO was either much closer to the observer or traveling at a significantly higher speed. The comments further note that aircraft and weather balloons were eliminated as possibilities, and that the observer had spoken to two other men who also saw the object.