1960 CIA Correspondence on Detroit UFO Sighting, meteor-like, extremely large and almost like a disc with greenish light
This CIA Reading Room document (DOC_0000015422) is a memorandum to the USAF from the Chief of the Detroit Office, dated 16 December 1960, forwarding a report of an 'unusual object' sighted on Wednesday, 14 December 1960 at about 6:54 pm. The primary witness — who identifies himself as a doctor in dynamics and physics — describes an object resembling a meteor but 'extremely large and almost like a disc,' emitting a greenish (just off-white) light. He observed it descending from roughly 50–55 degrees elevation to about 20 degrees, moving at a shallow angle off to the south, and reports his first impression that it would land in the Detroit River before it 'burned out before it got to the ground.' He emphasizes it was much larger than typical meteorites of the season and, given his experience with high temperatures, judged the object to be at a very high temperature, speculating it might be related to part of a missile traveling at high velocity. A student in his class independently reported seeing the object near Hines Drive/Telegraph, west of the witness's position, which the witness cites as corroboration of its size and trajectory. Another student not in his class also reported seeing it. The witness explicitly distances the report from 'flying saucer stuff.' The document is a witness narrative record; the phenomenon's nature is not established.
Description
A one-page U.S. government memorandum from the Chief, Detroit Office, dated 16 December 1960, relaying a witness account of an unusual luminous object seen in the sky over the Detroit area on the evening of 14 December 1960. The witness, describing himself as a physicist, reported a large greenish disc-like object of apparently high temperature moving toward the ground before burning out.
Claims
The witness explicitly stated the sighting 'was not flying saucer stuff.'
70%At about 6:54 pm on 14 December 1960 a witness in the Detroit area observed an extremely large, disc-like greenish (nearly off-white) object resembling a meteor.
60%On 14 December 1960 at about 6:54 pm, a witness observed a large greenish disc-like object descending over the Detroit area before burning out before reaching the ground.
60%The object descended from about 50–55 degrees elevation to about 20 degrees, moved southward at a slight angle, and burned out before reaching the ground.
55%The primary witness, identifying himself as a doctor in dynamics and physics, judged the object to be at a very high temperature and speculated it might be part of a missile.
55%A second witness (a student) independently reported seeing the same object farther west, corroborating its large apparent size and trajectory.
55%A second witness (a student) independently reported seeing the same object and judged it would land near Telegraph Road at the end of Hines Drive.
50%The witness, describing himself as a doctor of dynamics and physics, believed the object was at very high temperature and high velocity and speculated it might be part of a missile rather than a 'flying saucer'.
50%
Events
Dec 14, 1960
Sighting of unusual object over Detroit
Witness observed a large, disc-like greenish light descending over the Detroit area at about 6:54 pm, moving southward and burning out before reaching the ground.
Dec 15, 1960
Transmittal memorandum drafted
Chief, Detroit Office forwards the witness report for USAF interest in unidentified objects.
Dec 14, 1960
Sighting of unusual object over Detroit area
A large greenish disc-like object of apparent high temperature was observed descending and burning out before reaching the ground at about 6:54 pm on 14 December 1960.
Dec 15, 1960
Memorandum forwarding the sighting report
The Chief, Detroit Office, transmitted the witness account, noting continuing interest in unidentified objects in the sky.
Dates mentioned
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Extracted text (OCR)
peer § LL: _ES GOVERNMENT To oo . pare; 16 December 1960 yeoM =: | Chief, Detroit Of: ce SUBJECT: Bighting of Unusual Odject If the USAP is still int rested in the followin ereated in untdentified objects in the sky. report given to us_ e ee 2. “At about 6:54 pm Wednesday W ley, 14 December I960, I had the radio on and. - wes listening to a program (the second three star report which would fix the exact tine). I looked out to the left (atout due east) and sav an object that looked like a meteor except that it was extremely large and almost like a dise, not like----- - c point of light. It wes_a greenish light (just off white), but green and quite —_--_ visible to me. I may not have picked it_up 83 soon as it appeared but it was. at visible to me at an angle of an elevation of about 50 to 55 degrees and it came doyn to within about 20 degrees elevation. Of_course it is_impossible to estimate distance as I didn't know-what I was looking at, my first Ampression was that it would land jn the Detroit. River. It was moving at en angle to the vertical of about 10 degrees, running off_to the right_or the south. It eventually burned out before it got to the ground. The thing which astonished me about it was that it is not | definitely incandescent, and of a very_high temperature the meteorite season and it vas much bigger than auything I had @ver seen. It vas — 3. “During my class a little hter I asked “if any of this od ect Out of 25 in the class, 2 Chie W853 the only one who saw it. | Said he was_¢o ’ He thought it was going to land at the end of Hines Drive.’ Rines Drive runs east and west. He said he was about tvo or three miles vest of Telgraph and when esked about where it was going.to-land he said about Telegraph. ‘Telegraph is about three miles west of where I vas, so that means he Judged that it was closer.— This error in his estimate verifies that 4t mst have bean a sizeable object because it was east of me and it lcoked big to me. He said he was_driving- it, but had exactly the same impression I-dtaz - 4. "Another student BES who was not in ny class last night, said he saw it. opportunity to question him. 5. "This was not flying saucer atuff. I say that only in the sense that I - have worked all my life with high temperatures. I am a doctor here in dynamics and physics and I know a high temperature when I see it.__That's why I would say the Qbject was way up in temperature. I thought it might be related to some part of a i missile or something similar. It was going at a high velocity and had to in order> = to reach the temperature it was at." = ee mores “ Sa - APPDIED TER RELUDE (M7
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