Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaOctober 1962

# Philadelphia UFO Sighting, October 1962

On the evening of October 18, 1962, a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania saw a white object in the southeastern sky that disappeared toward the northeast after 55 seconds. The object appeared to the witness as bright as a star, seemed solid, dimmed as it moved away, and changed direction during the sighting.

The U.S. Air Force technical questionnaire completed by the witness provides the core details. The witness was outdoors at the time and looked toward the southeast when first spotting the object. As the sighting continued, the witness tracked the object moving toward the northeast before losing sight of it. The object's apparent brightness and star like quality, combined with its observable dimming with distance, suggested to the investigator that this could have been an aircraft. The file notes that the speed and performance of the object were consistent with conventional aircraft behavior.

The Air Force's conclusion, recorded on the case summary card, was that this sighting was "probably aircraft," though the file itself does not contain extensive investigation notes or supporting analysis beyond this assessment. The complete case file, comprising 12 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.