New London, OhioSeptember 1960

On the evening of September 17, 1960, a resident of New London, Ohio saw a bright white light move rapidly across the sky from southwest to northeast. The observer said the object was about the size and brightness of Echo I, a satellite then in orbit. The light disappeared behind trees and was visible for roughly 15 seconds, though the observer acknowledged this was an estimate and might have been too long.

The observer wrote to the National Academy of Sciences to ask for help identifying the object. The Academy forwarded the inquiry to the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force sent the observer a detailed questionnaire to complete, asking about the object's appearance, movement, location, weather conditions, and other details. The observer filled out the form and provided additional written remarks.

In those remarks, the observer stated firmly that the object was not an airplane, despite an air route passing near New London. The observer cited the steadiness of the light and the fact that it was single, not multiple lights as aircraft show. The observer also ruled out a meteor, saying the object traveled too fast to track its motion during the full span of its visibility. When the object was closest, the observer tracked it for about 15 seconds.

The Air Force concluded that the sighting most likely was a meteor, despite the observer's objections. The case file lists the evaluation as "probably meteor." The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, spanning 14 pages.