PROJECT BLUE BOOK

PROJECT 10073 RECORD

‘1. DATE - TIME GROUP | 2. LOCATION

_ 15 August 65 16/00D
3. SOURCE

EI Military
4. NUMBER OF OBJECTS

One
5. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION

3D - ID Seconds

Portsmouth, Virginia

10. CONCLUSION
Other (UNRELIABIE REPORT)

11. BRIEF SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS
' Dull silver or grey object shaped like a digar about 50 to 80

6. TYPE OF OBSERVATION
Ground-Visual

in the North disappeared at 45 deg elevation in the South.

7. COURSE

South (Hovered)
8. PHOTOS

Total sighting 30-/0 sewnds. |
Witness regarded as "doubtful" by investigating officials.
Made efforts to exploit the sighting.

FORM
FTD sep 63 0-329 (TDE) previous editions of this form may be used,

ft long ani eight ft thick. First observed at 45 deg elevatidn

Flight was fast down to a TV Tower where the object mde a dead
stop ef 15-2 seconds. The object them zoomd away to the South.

REPLY TO
ATTN OF:

SUBJECT:

TO:

i Yigae 13g - PR meth Y. 7 -

CT (uNduiagie” Lori)
HEADQUARTERS

4500TH AIR BASE WING
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, VIRGINIA 23365

DO/2711

Initial Report of Investigation of UFO 2 3 AUG 155

AFSC (FTD) ,
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433

1. The following information is presented as directed by paragraph 14,

a. Description of the object:
(1) Shape: cigar.

(2) Size: Compared to a grapefruit held in the hand at about
arm's length, 50 to 80 feet long and 8 feet high.

(3) Color: Dull silver or gray.
(4) Number: One.

(5) Discernible features: None.
(6) Tail, trail, or exhaust: None.

(7) Sound: None.

\

b. Description of Course of Object:

(1) The observer's attention was first called to the object
when it appeared in the northern sky while the observer was sun-bathing.

(2) The angle of the object's elevation when first observed was
45 degrees on an approximate azimuth of 360 degrees. —

(3) The angle of the object's elevation upon disappearance was

45 degrees on an approximate azimuth of 180 degrees.

(4) The flight path of the object was stated to be fast and
down from the sky to a dead stop near the WYAH T. V. (340 feet above
MSL) tower, and then the object "zoomed away" after the 15 to 20 second
stop.

-
Per a Tae PE ee ET PEEP li HORII +

a

———— leach eile Miaaiiaan eileen ei er ee
’

(5) The object appeared and disappeared with "great speed,"
so that the entire time of observation was estimated to be 30 to 40

seconds.
c. Manner of Observation:
(1) Ground-visual.
(2) No optical aids were used.
d. Time and Date of Sighting:
(1) Sometime between 1920 and 1930 Zulu on 15 August 1965.
(2) Light Conditions: Day.

e. Location of Observer: The observer was on the roof a
Portsmouth, Virginia, which is three blocks east, northeast, of

the WYAH T. V; °

£. Identifying Information on Observer:

(1) Name: gg, lbs

(2) Grade: Journalist Third Class (J03), United States Coast

(3) Organization: Public Information Office, Fifth Coast Guard
District, Federal Building, Portsmouth, Virginia.

(4) Duty: Journalist.

(5) Estimate of Reliability: Doubtful. Journalis
apparently made every effort to exploit his observation for the sake of
its newsworthiness. Although, perhaps not intentionally, his reporting
of the sightings to his "many friends" in the news business has added to
the already greatly publicized UFO sightings in the area. Shortly after
the sighting, Journalis rted it to WAVY and WNOR radio and
television stations and t of the Virginian Pilot Newspaper
(AP). The next day J accompanied ium of the
Ledger Start Newspaper to the tower where the object was said to have
stopped. Journalis tated that he works with these people
every day because of the nature of his job in the Coast Guard. In my
interview with Journalist @aagMg—M™, he later stated: "I'm a believer,

I'm on, there is something out there we don't know about, I don't care

if somebody writes it off or not." Journalist @@@MMewas extremely

unmilitary in his interview, frequently calling me "man." He stated
that he had been contacted by two private UFO investigating organizations.
One of these callers said he was from Langley AF Base. Journalist

said he told them he would look at their questionnaires they
asked to send to him. He could not remember these people's names or
the names of their organizations, but said that they mentioned Air Force
suppressing UFO information and asked if the Air Force had contacted

him. I interviewed Journalist “pees, on the night of 16 August 1965.

_@-e Weather and Winds: Aloft Conditions at Time and Place of
Sighting: :

(1) Observer's Account of Weather Conditions: Clear.

(2) Reported Winds (Base Operations Weather Facility, Langley
AF Base, Va. )

Surface 030°/10 knots
5000 feet 360°/10 knots
10,000 feet 040°/20 knots
15,000 feet 040°/30 knots
20,000 feet 0309/35 knots
30,000 feet 030°/40 knots
35,000 feet 020°/50 knots
40,000 feet 030°/35 knots
45,000 feet 030°/30 knots
50,000 feet 0609/10 knots

(3) Ceiling: Clear.
(4) Visibility: Seven miles in haze.

(5) Cloud Cover: None.
(6) Thunderstorms: None.

(7) Temperature: 82° F,
/

h. Meteorological Conditions Relative to the Sighting: The sun was
stated to be just to the left of the object and with haze reported in all
quadrants - the observer's view of the object was greatly impaired.

i. Air Traffic in this area is extremely dense. There are seven
military installations in the immediate flying area which have helicopters
up at all hours on random flight plans. These installations are also
frequently used by transient helicopters normally travelling north and

south.

—- oe +e te

j. This report was prepared by First Lieutenant Rober R. Dockum,

USAF, 4500 Air Base Wing (DOO-H), Langl

A very possible cause of the reported object was

over Portsmouth, Virginia,
the city.

and hovering near the

ey Air Force Base, Virginia.

a helicopter flying
T. Ve. Tower to view

k. No physical evidence was reported to exist.

FOR THE COMMANDER