Silver Spring, MarylandJanuary 1961

Insufficient Data

Summary

On January 11, 1961, a resident of Silver Spring, Maryland reported seeing a rapidly flashing light that moved very fast at a low, constant altitude in a straight line. The light appeared white with a bluish tint. The witness said the entire sighting lasted about fifteen to thirty seconds, though the exact duration was uncertain.

The Air Force investigator who reviewed the case noted a critical problem with the witness's account. The investigator wrote that the witness reported performing several distinct actions during the sighting, but the timeline did not add up. Completing all of those actions would have been physically impossible in the few seconds the witness claimed to have observed the object. If the witness had actually seen the same object more than once, the duration would have been closer to two or three minutes. Because there was only one witness and the account raised questions about timing and sequence of events, the Air Force concluded there was insufficient data for evaluation.

The file contains 11 pages of the National Archives records as held on microfilm T1206, Roll 41.

Reported location

Silver Spring, Maryland

Date of incident

January 1961

State / country

MD / US

Page count

11 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 41

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 11

View transcribed text

Er -
PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
I. DATE | 2 LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
oR ch : : 0 Was Belioon
11 Jan 61 Silver Spring, Maryland 0 Probably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GRCUP fa TYPE OF OBSERVATION Ww. TYSNy WET
42020 RY? Gc $ [1 Was Aircraft
AT UTE RR RE Ry | A Graund-Visual Ground-Rodar 0 Probobly Aircraft
1 “AAT ss) i
| GMT ? 201207 0 Air Visual 0 Air-Intercept Radar D Possibly Aircraft
S. "PHOTCS | © SOURCE [8] Was Astronomical
O Yes 0 Prohobly Astronomical
#4 No Civilian D Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION | 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE RT C——
j 0 Insufficient Data for Evaluation
- i 0 Unknown
30 £ 15 sec | 4 N=-5
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTINGRapidly-Tlaching light. (11. COMMENTSThe duration reported was just
ploved very fast, at constant low altitude in a guess by the witness, Under some circun-
» straight line. Light was white with a stances several seconds can scem like a
bluish tings. long time. However, it would have been |
physically impossible for the witness to
complete all of the action he said he pejr-
formed in a matter of seconds, If the wilt-
. ness saw the same object more than onze *
reported, the duration would have been
more like two or three minutes. As there
was only one witness, this report is
lipitor as insufficient data,
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 25 SEP 52)
p saber Re sa MRE ae she RR
4 § I ’

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28990929