Newark, New JerseyJuly 1962

On the evening of July 10, 1962, a man driving near Fords, New Jersey, spotted an unusual object in the sky at approximately 11:20 p.m. He described it as bright white-grey in color, with a cylindrical bottom section and fuzzy, irregular edges. The object appeared to be solid and made no sound. At first it looked like a well-formed blur, but as it accelerated, it became a definite, tangible structure with areas of light similar to yellow, plus a distinct small red light. The witness watched it for at least five minutes as it moved across the sky, initially traveling northeast and then toward the east, moving at roughly the speed of a passenger aircraft but much lower. He followed it by car, first up Tress Road and then onto Burham Drive. A second witness, identified only as Miss Friedman, also observed the object.

When the object changed position, the witness noticed it had transformed in appearance. It now looked like a large airplane covered with windows, with a bright red light on top. An actual passenger aircraft passed nearby, appearing to be behind or above the object. The witness parked his car and got a close look. He described two circular areas with revolving "windows" that all glowed with yellow light. A red light and pole appeared to act as a stabilizer for these rotating rings. The object then accelerated eastward and disappeared from sight.

The witness, a 20-year-old Rutgers University senior, was convinced the object was an advanced aircraft of unknown origin. He noted that its design resembled sketches of future space platforms that had appeared in recent magazines and newspapers. He expressed strong doubt that the craft belonged to the United States or any other known country, citing its obvious advanced design and apparent gyroscopic motion.

However, the Air Force investigation concluded differently. According to a report from McGuire Air Force Base dated July 19, 1962, inquiry revealed that the flying object was actually an advertising aircraft equipped with mirrored lights. A press release mentioned a 39-foot sign with 245 electric lights that flashed messages promoting an ice cream brand. The sign was towed by an airplane over the area on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings and was owned by a firm from Wynnette, Pennsylvania. A local newspaper article from July 14, 1962, confirmed this explanation.

Despite the Air Force's identification, the case file was marked "unidentified" on its official record card. The full case file, comprising 13 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.