Lexington, KentuckySeptember 1959

Insufficient Data

Summary

On September 7, 1959, near Lexington, Kentucky, a civilian reported seeing one to five objects on and off during a 25 minute period. The objects were round and about the same size and brightness as stars.

The witness said one object hovered at about 15,000 feet, then dove to 5,000 feet and hovered again. The witness said the objects would fade and brighten, travel east and west and back, make sharp changes in direction, and speed up to several thousand miles per hour. No sound was reported.

The Air Force noted the report was hard to rely on, since the witness gave detailed speeds and altitudes for objects described as star-sized but did not say how far they moved. The card lists the case as insufficient data rather than unreliable. This was part of Project 10073, the Air Force's official record for unidentified flying object reports.

Reported location

Lexington, Kentucky

Date of incident

September 1959

State / country

KY / US

Page count

3 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 36

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 3

View transcribed text

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\ PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD | :
G - TTT To rE
: 1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
; 0 Wos Balloon
: 7 Sep 59 Lexington, Kentucky QO Probably Balloon
j ok 3 i
| 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION elit fhe hE
1 : 4 3 O Was Aircraft
Arie ile esa 0: Ground-Vi sual O Ground-Radar 8 Prabiobly Alveratr |
GMT Oc / 0105-01302 0 AirVisual 0 Air-Intercept Radar O Possibly Aircraft
5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE 0 Was Astronomical
O Yes O Probably Astronomical
: 0-No 3 Civilian O Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERYATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE Bt Oar oad fal sian oh
| 0% Insufficient Data for Evaluation
i 0 Unknown
25 mins A e{o) 45) Minasuver
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS :
One to five objs sighted fm time to time Ilo weather inversion check. Very
: during a 25 min period. Objs ronnd & smme unreliable rpt. Observer zble to

size & brilliance as stars. One hovered estimate alts, speeds, magnitudes,

at 15,000ft & then nade a 70° dive to 5,000 & other factors of objs described

ft & hovered. All objs would fade & grow in as star size yet did not state how

magnitude, travel East & West & back, far the obJjs moved when, & if, they

make sharp changes in diraction & speed up| moved. Case classed as insufficient

to several thousends cif mph. No scund or data rather than unreliable rpt.

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ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SRP 52)
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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28984411