New Orleans, LouisianaApril 1950

Insufficient Data

Summary

On April 12, 1950, around 11:30 p.m., a man in New Orleans, Louisiana, was awakened in bed by his wife, who saw an object through the window. Their home was just behind the levee of Lake Pontchartrain. They reported a dark red or orange object just over the lake that looked like a small sunset. It was completely round, like a ball, seen to the northwest at an estimated distance of about two miles.

The witness said the object moved from north to south, descending at about the speed of a plane landing, and was in sight about 10 seconds. He estimated its altitude at about 300 feet, at a 30 degree angle. There was no sound, odor, trail, or glare. He said the object gradually lost altitude, seemed to land on the water, tried to rise and fell back, then came to a stop. A faint reflection appeared behind the levee, then all went dark. He later drove about four miles trying to find it. He thought it might have been a plastic, balloon shaped object.

The report came through Army channels with witness statements. Weather records showed thin overcast, broken clouds at 9,000 feet, and 10 mile visibility. The Air Force record (Project 10073, its official file for unidentified flying object reports) concluded it was a probable aircraft sighting, possibly a seaplane landing on the lake.

Reported location

New Orleans, Louisiana

Date of incident

April 1950

State / country

LA / US

Page count

6 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 7

BE a when | NE PROJECT 10073 RECORD La 11. DATE - TiME GROUF’ 2 te “yon FY : Si {42 dnedidl 1950 13/053502] New ‘Crieane, Lociciens © |3. SOURCE : 10. CONCLUSION ‘ | Civilian o Probeble A/C sighting, Ceuld be seaplane landing on lake, | 4. NUMBER OF OBJECTS Qe . 5. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION [11. BRIEF SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS 10 sceends "Witness ewakened in bed by wife who observed object through s. TYPE OF OBSERVATION window, Dark red or orange object just ever the lake, Looked . / like a emall sunset, Completely round, Observed in NW at estimated ground visual distance of 2 miles, Passed through 15 degrees of ac. descendihg {5 course ‘at speed of A/C landing. estimated duration 10 secends. © | Scuth | ‘ e. PHOTOS 0 Yes ; f 21 No 9. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE 0 Yes i £2 No FORM FTD sep 63 0-329 (TDE) Previous editions of this form may be used, i / 7 | | Bal. Ap diseindeadisibbtiaiissiad. & oF gadis, tb SR i a sa ao !