Project Blue Book Case File
Langley AFB Hampton, Newport News, VirginiaAugust 1954
Summary
On the evening of August 17, 1954, several people reported a glowing object over the Hampton and Newport News area of Virginia. The witnesses included two newspapermen, two other civilians, and a Langley Air Force Base airman. More observers called in the next day after a newspaper story ran.
The object was a glowing white sphere that looked like a sparkler, not solid. Some saw it as the size of a softball, others as a basketball. It appeared in the west southwest and moved on a straight, level path toward the east northeast. It vanished suddenly, like a light bulb turning off. The sighting lasted about 3 to 10 seconds.
The Air Force record card listed the conclusion as a meteor. The base intelligence officer wrote that he believed it was the exhaust or tail light of a low flying jet. The case was filed under Project 10073, the Air Force's official record for unidentified flying object reports.
Reported location
Langley AFB Hampton, Newport News, Virginia
Date of incident
August 1954
State / country
VA / US
Page count
4 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unidentified
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 21