Springfield, VirginiaJuly 1962

On the morning of July 13, 1962, at approximately 2:30 p.m. EDT, a resident of Springfield, Virginia, saw an oval-shaped object glowing bright yellowish-white travel rapidly overhead in an easterly direction. As the witness watched, the object lost altitude and grew brighter before disappearing behind trees a few blocks away. The witness believed the object may have landed. During the sighting, the witness heard a faint buzzing sound and noticed static-like interference on a nearby radio that stopped when the object left view. The witness was convinced the radio interference came from the object itself.

The Air Force sent the witness a detailed questionnaire to gather more information about the sighting. The witness reported being outdoors at the time and noticing the object while looking overhead. The object appeared as a light source, and the witness described its motion as traveling east while descending. The sky was clear at the time of the observation. When asked what the object might have been, the witness could not identify it with certainty, though the preliminary case evaluation form noted a "striking characteristic of meteor" in the comments section.

The Air Force's official conclusion for this case was listed as unidentified, meaning investigators found no conventional explanation for what the witness saw. The file does not indicate whether any corroborating reports from other witnesses or radar stations were received. This case file, consisting of 12 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below in full.