Middletown, New YorkJuly 1953

On July 3, 1953, around 3:15 to 3:30 p.m., two civilian witnesses in Middletown, New York spotted an unusual object from Fancher Davidge Park on the north side of town. The witnesses, both local businessmen in their late fifties, were sitting on a bench when they noticed the object suddenly appear at a distance of three to five miles away, looking northwest. The object was traveling at very high speed and had an unusual shape that caught their attention immediately.

The witnesses described the object as resembling an aluminum diesel railroad engine. It had an aluminum colored body and black wings, though they stated firmly that the object did not have wings in the traditional sense. The object was blunt and bulky in appearance. When sunlight caught it as the object banked, it reflected brightly. At certain angles, the witnesses said it looked like a tailless comet. The object made no sound at all, which struck the observers as remarkable. They tried cupping their hands behind their ears to pick up any noise but heard nothing. There was no visible smoke, contrails, or flame.

The object performed a striking maneuver. It began at an altitude of about 2,000 feet and appeared to be banking, then suddenly shot straight up to approximately 10,000 to 12,000 feet, leveled off, and disappeared into the east. The entire sighting lasted only two to five minutes. The weather that day was clear with excellent visibility and very light winds.

The witnesses delayed reporting their sighting because they worried about appearing foolish or thought their eyes might have played tricks on them. After discussing the incident with other civilians, they were encouraged to report it to the authorities. The interviewer noted that both men seemed sincere and credible in their account. The Air Force concluded that the description tended to coincide with that of a maneuvering aircraft. The full case file, consisting of 24 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.