Erie, Penn., January 1960January 1960

On January 25, 1960, at approximately 2133 (9:33 p.m.), a civilian observer near Pontiac, Michigan spotted an unusual object in the night sky west of Erie, Pennsylvania, over Lake Erie. The object was described as having a shape similar to an aircraft, comparable in size to a T-33 trainer jet. It displayed a brilliant red front with an orange glow from the rear, but made no sound. The observer watched it for three to eight seconds before it faded away toward the northeast, traveling at what appeared to be excessive speed.

The observer noted being familiar with satellites and stated that this object had far greater speed than the Earth satellites he had previously seen. The Air Force checked radar and aircraft activity records in the area at the time of the sighting. A review at Detroit Air Defense Sector revealed no known aircraft in the area during the reported time frame.

Weather conditions in the region included scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, seven miles of visibility, and haze. Wind data was recorded at multiple altitudes. The Air Force found no optical aids were used during the observation, and no photographs were taken.

The investigating officer, Captain Gillick, was the airdrome officer at Selfridge Air Force Base near Mount Clemens, Michigan. The case file also includes a technical information questionnaire filled out by the witness, along with an analysis sheet, though much of the OCR text on these pages is heavily garbled and difficult to read with certainty. The file notes the case evaluation as "probably meteor" based on the object's description, the brief duration of the sighting, the excessive speed, the brightness, and the manner in which it faded from view.

The complete case file of 18 pages is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.