Project 10073 Record Card and Air Intelligence Information Report — Middletown, Pennsylvania, 12 September 1952

On 12 September 1952, at 0107Z, a civilian employee at Olmsted Air Force Base in Middletown, Pennsylvania, reported observing an unidentified flying object. The witness, who was on dike patrol at the time, described the object as a bright, white light, roughly the size of an automobile headlight. The object moved in a straight line from the southwest to the northwest at a speed described as slower than an airplane. During the three-minute observation, the witness noted that the light dimmed significantly for approximately five seconds before regaining its original brilliance. The witness also reported that the object disappeared behind a tree and that the noise associated with the sighting ceased when the object vanished. Weather conditions were reported as clear with twelve miles of visibility and calm winds. In the subsequent Air Intelligence Information Report, investigators noted that while the witness insisted the object was not an aircraft, its level flight and speed suggested the possibility of an aircraft. The report explicitly states that the office could offer no definite explanation for the sighting, noting that the duration of the observation made astronomical phenomena like meteors unlikely. The witness provided additional details in a questionnaire, including a mention of hearing sounds like heavy artillery firing in the distance, though no sound was noted during the primary sighting event.