Newport News, VAJuly 1951

Insufficient Data

Summary

On July 3, 1951, near Newport News, Virginia, two soldiers reported a strange object at about 2305 (11:05 p.m.). The two Army harbor craft company men saw the object from a park near the bus station. It appeared in the northwestern sky at about a 15 to 50 degree angle.

The object was spherical and lit with a gaseous glow. It stayed in place until about 2330 (11:30 p.m.), when it disappeared toward the northwestern horizon. Both men said the object appeared to suddenly black out and plunge earthward. The sighting lasted about 25 minutes.

A local check found both soldiers to be truthful, reliable, and intelligent, with no apparent motive other than following directives to report such sightings. The Air Force recorded the case in Project 10073, its official file for unidentified flying object reports. Investigators noted the object was stationary until it disappeared, a behavior typical of an astronomical body. The conclusion was the star Arcturus.

Reported location

Newport News, VA

Date of incident

July 1951

State / country

VA / US

Page count

4 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 8

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 4

View transcribed text

rR PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD ;
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
0 Was Balloon
L P24 July 1951 Newport News, Va D Probably Belleon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4 TYPE OF OBSERVATION —19 Possibly Belicen
TEETER A Ground- Visual O Ground-Rador -- Bas Bored
GMT 04052 O AirVisual O Air-Intercept Radar 0 Possibly Aireroft
5S. PHOTOS » SOURCE & Wos Astronomical ARCTURUS
O Yes 0 Probably Astronomical
2 Ne Military OD Possibly Astronomicol
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE BRT CS,
- RRE—— Data for Evoluotion
25 min TAREE TART EG slid GSD
10. SUMMARY OF SIGHTING #144 11. COMMENTS
olor - Gaseous Glow, Shape Spherical. KEI¢ Object stationary until disappearance
20/444/280/déd/df. Object appeared to Sighting characteric of astro body.
suddenly black out and plungs earthward. Arcturus at 30 deg elev to 280 deg az,
Object in NW at 45 deg elevation. Disappearance attributed to probable
in cloud condition, Case evaluated
as star ARCTURUS.
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)
Ed

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28939295