Project Blue Book Case File
Haverhill, MassachusettsJune 1961
Summary
In June 1961, a woman in Haverhill, Massachusetts reported seeing an unidentified object while driving. The sighting was brief, lasting only about 30 seconds, and the Air Force evaluated it as "probably balloon."
The case file shows that investigators had difficulty reaching firm conclusions from the initial report. A memo from ATIC (Air Technical Intelligence Center) notes that important questions went unanswered in the original questionnaire. The Air Force asked follow-up questions about the direction the witness was traveling, whether the object appeared directly ahead or off to the side, and the object's elevation in the sky. They also requested clarification on basic details like whether the car windows were open at the time.
A separate letter in the file, written by the witness or someone associated with the case, expresses frustration with official secrecy around UFO reports. The writer argues that transparency would be better for the public than continued official silence, though this letter appears to represent a personal view rather than an official Air Force position.
The full case file, comprising 10 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.
Reported location
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Date of incident
June 1961
State / country
MA / US
Page count
10 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unknown
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 42