Watchung, New JerseyApril 1961

Insufficient Data

Summary

On April 30, 1961, at about 1845 (6:45 p.m.) local time, a civilian in Watchung, New Jersey, reported a silver colored object in the sky. The report was filed on the Project 10073 record card, the Air Force's official record for unidentified flying object reports.

The witness said the object looked like a plate at a great distance. It seemed to blink, and it disappeared and then reappeared. The sighting lasted only a short time, described in seconds. The witness also wrote a letter to the Air Force describing the event.

The Air Force concluded the object was probably a weather balloon. The card noted that the description fit a balloon, that balloons were released about 1500 hours (3:00 p.m.) by the weather bureau, and that the wind was from the west.

Reported location

Watchung, New Jersey

Date of incident

April 1961

State / country

NJ / US

Page count

29 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 42

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 29

View transcribed text

8
¢
4
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{ : PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD :
; 1. DATE a 2 LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
30 Apr 61 Watchung, New Jersey O Was Balloon

3 : 7] Probably Balloon

3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4 TYPE OF OBSERVATION Possibly Balloon
g 1845 : 0 Was Aircraft

Local te Se ——— XXGround- Visual 0 Ground-Radar OQ Probably Aircraft
i 5
cmt 39 23L57 D AirVisual O Air-Intercept Radar O Possibly Aireroft
4 5. PHOTOS . SOURCE 0 Was Astronomical
0 Yes O Probably Astronomical
B.Ne Civiiian O Possibly Astronomical
f 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE BY II i a abit |
0 Insufficient Data for Evaluation
" seconds one Varied 0 Unknown
- Pe - Aha - - | -
Ie BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 111. COMMENTS
ver colorad obiect, Looked like DL Description indicates that u inject
1 ate at a great distance, Object discnpeare was oroocbly a weather balloon, The
na reapoeared, Jeemsc to be blinking, duration of the sizhting is rather shoft,
] Balliocns are released about L500 hours
by the weather Sureau, inc was from the
lest. ,
|

 / ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)

/ 29

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28992214