Oradell, New JerseySeptember 1962

Unidentified

Summary

On September 15, 1962, three boys told police in Oradell, New Jersey that they had witnessed a strange object over the Oradell Reservoir. According to their account, the round object had fins on its top and bottom, appeared to be about the size of a Piper Cub aircraft at three-quarters of a mile away, and was described as having no particular color but bright lights around its body. The witnesses said the object hovered over the water, then moved south along the reservoir, hovering again before descending into the water. As it passed over the observers on an Oradell Avenue bridge, it rose about 500 feet into the air before disappearing heading south. A fisherman on the opposite side of the reservoir reported hearing a loud splash at approximately the same time.

The incident occurred during evening hours under calm conditions with a clear moon. The sighting triggered a wave of reported UFO sightings across northern New Jersey between September 15 and 24. A police report documented three witnesses and police investigations of the area, though nothing was found. The Air Force later received the case file, which contained limited detail and scope.

The Air Force's evaluation, conducted in February 1963, concluded that the available information pointed toward the misidentification of a bird as the most logical cause. Analysts noted that if witnesses reported the object was the size of a Piper Cub at three-quarters of a mile distance, it would subtend an angle of approximately 0.9 degrees, the same as the moon. However, if it passed overhead at 500 feet as claimed, it would appear nine times larger. The analysts reasoned that if a bird were approximately 150 feet away initially and closer than 100 feet when overhead, it would approximate the angular sizes reported. The Air Force also noted that twilight hours with their shadowy effects probably contributed to the sighting. The case remained unsolved as of the final file entry, pending any additional information witnesses might provide. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, spanning 23 pages of microfilm.

Reported location

Oradell, New Jersey

Date of incident

September 1962

State / country

NJ / US

Page count

23 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unidentified

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 46

a. se AP ST PIR SY SRSA arr N—————eaRSWORE Lt ll eit Ll igs go ORI ER IRR 1 J \ PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD nT a SE Tt + ED $0 GH TE i ee EE EE DE Am. IAs BA. CT OG, SA SA A rr ee Mt A te AAA A) BS Ar Bt te BA A I pe TD A TN Ae rt PAS lA Ges Ar m5 eo a Be ®t + 5 Bm 1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS i O Was Balloon 15-24 September 1962 Oradell, New Jersey a Minion 14 fe ho 3. DATE-TIAZ GROUP 4. TYPE OF O3SERVATION sot ib Fe 0 Was Aircraft TRIPE asians an nih #2 Ground. Visual O Ground-Rador O Probably Aircraft CHRO B60 BY ARS 0 Ain Visual 0 Air-Intarcopt Rodar | © Possibly Aircraft 5. PHOTOS 8. SOURCE 0 Was Astronomical Q Yes O Probably Astreanomical Oo Civilian 0 Possibly Astrenomicol 7. LENOTH OX OB3ZRVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE pel CI EE os FON | ] o dob hae Data for Evaluation 8) nk no wn not reported one south | 10. BRIZA SUMMARY OF 3ICHTING 11, COMMENTS { Round obj w/fin on top & bottom. Body This sighting triggered a flurry 4 times as large as fins, Size of piper of rptd sightings fm the N.J. cub at 3/4 miles. No color, Bright area fm 15--Z4 Sep. Carried in lights around body. Moving N to S along most UFO publications, Analysis Oradell Reservoir, First observed over of this particular sighting is tree, obj hovered, then moved South, based on limited data presented novered & dropped into water, It rose Case evaluated as birds until about 500 ft as it passed obsrvrs., Disap- further data submitted indicatig peared heading S. Obsrvd fm bridge. other evaluation, No attempt at Obsvation at night-calm water ,clear analysis of many other rptd moon. (See Case File) sightings. s ATIC FORM 329 (REV 28 S2P 32) i: Ns Md AE OR mie Nr RAN SCAR ii eb Bini ‘ i Hii + ¢ f a 1 ¥ /