Family Sees Silver Object Return Over Their Home
It vanished into the sky, then reappeared as dusk approached.
A couple and their two children saw a silver object over their New Jersey home in November 1957. It disappeared, returned as dusk approached, and remained unidentified in the report.
A couple and their two children were standing in the yard of their New Jersey home on the afternoon of November 5, 1957. A long, silver object moved overhead. It crossed the sky, disappeared, then returned.
That is what the woman told the FBI. According to the report, the family could not identify the object. They also could not tell whether it had made a sound the first time, since an airplane was flying nearby. But as dusk approached, the object appeared again, and this time they thought they heard an engine noise.
An Object Without Wings
The woman described a cylindrical object, dark silver in color. It had no wings or markings, but there were fins at the rear. It appeared to move through the sky without flying very high or fast.
The family saw it heading northeast. An airplane passed nearby, so they could not determine whether the object itself had made a sound. The report does not specify what kind of plane it was or whether it was connected to what they saw.
It Returned Before Dark
Some time later, as dusk approached, the object appeared again. According to the report, it came from the direction in which it had previously traveled. In other words, it reappeared after disappearing, this time moving back toward the southwest.
This time it flew higher, but at a similar speed. The family thought they might have heard an engine noise. They could not say for certain that the sound came from the object, but it was the only sound mentioned in the account of the sighting.
The report says the neighbors were not outside at the time and, according to the woman, the family was the only one who saw the object. It does not describe any attempt to follow it after it appeared a second time.
What Remains Unknown
The report records the woman's account but does not identify the object or determine what caused the noise. It mentions an airplane nearby, but does not say that the plane explains what the family saw.
A silver object disappeared over the yard and returned before dark. What crossed the sky that evening remains an open question.
This is the FBI Newark Field Office case file on unidentified flying object reports in and around New Jersey from August 1952 through the mid-1960s. It opens with 1952 USAF Office of Special Investigations (OSI) and Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) correspondence requesting that the FBI investigate the reliability of a Passaic-area photographer and witness who produced alleged UFO photographs, and continues with dozens of brief office memoranda logging citizen telephone reports of aerial sightings, which the office routinely referred to the Air Force/OSI without independent investigation. The latter portion of the file consists largely of OCR-degraded scanned newspaper clippings from the 1966 national UFO flap and flying-saucer-club (AFSCA) convention literature. Image quality is poor: many handwritten and typed pages are heavily garbled by OCR, though several typed memoranda are legible.
Incidents in the document
- August 1952 · Passaic / Paterson, New Jersey, United States · Page 5
USAF OSI transmitted to the FBI Newark Field Office copies of an ATIC memorandum (dated 12 August 1952), a 2 August 1952 letter from Herald-News writer Charles Gregg, and photographs allegedly of unidentified aerial objects. ATIC requested that the FBI investigate the background of civilian photographer John H. Riley and known witness George J. Stock to determine their reliability, question the photographer about the circumstances under which he took the pictures, and locate other sources to determine the authenticity of the photos.
- Witnesses
- George J. Stock · John H. Riley
- The object
- alleged unidentified aerial objects depicted in photographs
- November 5, 1957 · Glen Ridge, New Jersey, United States · Page 13
Witnesses on the lawn of their property observed an object moving from a southwesterly direction toward the northeast; it later returned about dusk, flying into the southwest at a higher altitude. Reported to the FBI and OSI advised.
- The object
- a long, cylindrical, dark silver object with no wings but fins on the rear, no markings, with possible motor noise
- August 27, 1957 · Clifton, New Jersey, United States · Page 15
A US Air Force Reserve Captain (Schey) telephonically reported observing an object due west of Clifton at 8:30 p.m.; OSI duty officer George Wertz was notified.
- Witnesses
- Captain Schey
- Sensors
- field glasses
- The object
- object shaped like an underwater demolition bomb, with a cross-shaped light coming from within and diamond-shaped holes from which light emitted
- February 11, 1958 · Union, New Jersey, United States · Page 20
A resident telephonically reported observing an object from her kitchen window flying south at very high altitude. OSI (Harold Peck) notified.
- The object
- bullet-shaped, silver, no wings, with a vapor trail, flying higher than commercial aircraft, no sound
- (circa 1958) · Glen Ridge, New Jersey, United States · Page 19
A man reported that his wife observed a low-flying object over Glen Ridge moving from south to north; OSI (Van Liere) notified.
- The object
- brilliant white, cigar-shaped object with delta wings toward the tail, no audible noise
- (circa 1958) · Perth Amboy, New Jersey, United States · Page 21
A couple driving home over a small bridge before the large bridge at Perth Amboy observed an object that appeared as a flaming rocket coming down from the sky.
- The object
- object resembling a flaming rocket descending from the sky
- (night, circa 1958-1959) · Jersey City / Woodbridge, New Jersey, United States · Page 22
Jersey City Police detectives George Langrehr and Edward Sherry, and separately Herman Taubman and numerous named civilian witnesses, reported an object with a long bright exhaust traveling north-northwest at high speed; described variously as a meteor or comet by some witnesses.
- Witnesses
- Det. George Langrehr · Det. Edward Sherry · Ptl. John Wheaten · Herman Taubman · Mrs. A. G. Dower
- The object
- object with a brilliant bluish-white flame exhaust about 40 feet long, visible roughly 30 seconds, at 1,000-3,000 feet
- October 28, 1959 · northern New Jersey (multiple towns), United States · Page 28
Between 5:40 and 6:45 p.m. the office received about seven telephone calls reporting a sighting; callers claimed numerous witnesses. A list of caller names, addresses, and call times was compiled for OSI follow-up.
- The object
- a very bright object with a number of twinkling lights, surrounded by a haze or cloud-like mist, with a rapidly dissipating vapor trail over a large area
- January 16, 1960 · Bloomfield / West Paterson, New Jersey, United States · Page 30
Church organist Stephen Klyce and others heard a jet-like roar and saw a bright stationary object; Ralph LaVella reported seeing an object leave a jet plane after an explosion and later drop from the sky. OSI (M. A. Sroda, Camp Kilmer) notified; an anonymous and additional callers reported similar phenomena.
- Witnesses
- Stephen Klyce · Ralph LaVella
- The object
- a bright object with a hazy outline, appearing stationary about 5,000 feet up, disappearing after about 5 minutes
- February 8, 1961 · Westfield area, New Jersey, United States · Page 33
A caller reported seeing extremely bright objects over three successive nights; on the reporting night three similar objects appeared northwest, west, and north of his residence, changing from round to a lateral shape resembling a spectrum. His daughter, son, wife, and a neighbor verified the sighting. The FBI recommended no action.
- The object
- extremely bright objects, larger than stars, changing from round to lateral 'spectrum-like' shapes
- Outcome
- No action recommended
- February 13, 1961 · Franklin, New Jersey, United States · Page 35
Mrs. Goarcke reported unidentified flying objects she had seen about a month earlier and stated she believed such objects could be used to obtain pictures of installations such as Boulder Dam; she connected this to a 1939 art teacher named Grabach whom she described as sympathetic to communism. She appeared to wander in her thought process and seemed in a daze during the interview.
- Outcome
- Recorded for information; complainant appeared unable to furnish coherent information
- 1966 · New Jersey, Ohio, and nationwide, United States · Page 61
The file includes numerous newspaper clippings from the 1966 national UFO flap, including the Wanaque, N.J. reservoir sightings, the Ravenna, Ohio police-cruiser chase by Deputy Sheriff Dale Spaur, and the USAF/J. Allen Hynek 'swamp gas' press conference, along with flying-saucer-club (AFSCA) convention and contactee literature.
Quotes from the file
"Transmitted herewith are copies of a restricted memorandum dated 12 August 1952 ... and 5(?) photographs allegedly of unidentified aerial objects. The Air Technical Intelligence Center has requested that the background of subject civilian photographer, JOHN H. RILEY, 28, 571 Main Street, Paterson, N.J. and of known witness GEORGE J. STOCK, 221 Brooks Ave., Passaic, N.J., be investigated in an attempt to determine their reliability."
Speaker: USAF OSI 20th District (to SAC McKee, FBI Newark)
Why it matters: Establishes the 1952 Passaic UFO-photograph case and the Air Force's request that the FBI vet the photographer's and witness's reliability.
Page 5
"they observed a long, cylindrical, dark silver object with no wings but fins on the rear, moving along toward the northeast ... There were no markings on the object, it was not flying high nor fast."
Why it matters: Detailed firsthand morphology of a finned cylindrical object over Glen Ridge, 5 November 1957.
Page 13
"the object had a shape resembling that of an underwater demolition bomb and light, in the shape of a cross, was coming from within this UFO ... he was able to see what looked like diamond-shaped holes in the UFO from which the light emitted."
Speaker: Captain Schey (USAF Reserve)
Why it matters: An Air Force Reserve officer's technically specific description observed through field glasses.
Page 15
"She described this UFO as bullet-shaped, silver, no wings, flying south at a very high altitude with vapor trail. She stated it flew much higher than commercial aircraft and she heard no noise."
Why it matters: Representative of the recurring silver, finless, vapor-trailing object morphology across the New Jersey reports.
Page 20
"Mrs. Goarcke also stated that she believed that these unidentified flying objects could be used to obtain pictures of such installations as Boulder Dam."
Speaker: Mrs. Goarcke (complainant)
Why it matters: A Cold-War-era claim tying UFOs to espionage photography of strategic installations, linked to a 1939 acquaintance described as a communist sympathizer.
Page 36
"He stated that his wife told him he had been drinking and imagining things."
Why it matters: Illustrates the candid, sometimes self-deprecating tone of citizen reports the FBI passively logged.
Page 33
People, places and organizations
People
S. I. McKee
Special Agent-in-Charge · FBI Newark Field Office · Page 5
Charles Gregg
staff writer · The Herald-News, Passaic, N.J. · Page 5
John H. Riley
civilian photographer (subject of reliability inquiry) · 571 Main Street, Paterson, N.J. · Page 5
George J. Stock
witness (subject of reliability inquiry) · 221 Brooks Ave., Passaic, N.J. · Page 5
John T. Murphy
Special Agent (liaison with other government agencies) · FBI Newark · Page 13
William P. Nugent
Clerk · FBI Newark · Page 22
George Langrehr
Detective · Jersey City Police Department · Page 22
Edward Sherry
Detective · Jersey City Police Department · Page 22
Herman Taubman
witness/complainant · 470 Piaget Ave., Clifton, N.J. · Page 22
Mrs. A. G. Dower
witness/complainant · 8 Harvard Terrace, West Orange, N.J. · Page 23
Mrs. Robert Schrank
complainant · 65 Shetland Lane, Levittown, N.J. · Page 25
Gay R. Shahan
Special Agent · FBI Newark · Page 29
Stephen Klyce
witness; organist, First Presbyterian Church, Bloomfield, N.J. · Page 30
William H. Rockett
Special Agent · FBI Newark · Page 30
S. M. Kaplan
complainant · 19 Alfred Lane, Bloomfield, N.J. · Page 31
William E. Gagnon
Special Agent · FBI Newark · Page 33
James R. Laughlin
Special Agent · FBI Newark · Page 34
Bernece Abrams
complainant · East Paterson, N.J. · Page 34
D. Louis Barra
Investigative Clerk · FBI Newark · Page 35
Mrs. Goarcke
complainant · 122 Main St., Franklin, N.J. · Page 35
Places
Passaic, New Jersey, United States
Page 5
Paterson, New Jersey, United States
Page 5
Newark, New Jersey, United States
Page 5
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, United States
Page 5
New York, New York, United States
Page 5
Glen Ridge, New Jersey, United States
Page 13
Clifton, New Jersey, United States
Page 15
Union, New Jersey, United States
Page 20
Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Page 21
Perth Amboy, New Jersey, United States
Page 21
West Orange, New Jersey, United States
Page 23
Levittown, New Jersey, United States
Page 25
Fanwood, New Jersey, United States
Page 26
Bloomfield, New Jersey, United States
Page 30
Franklin, New Jersey, United States
Page 35
Units and bodies
USAF Office of Special Investigations, 20th District (67 Broad Street, New York)
U.S. Air Force · Page 5
Technical Analysis Division, Air Technical Intelligence Center
U.S. Air Force · Page 5
8th OSI District
U.S. Air Force · Page 5
Agencies and organizations
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- U.S. Air Force
- Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC)
- USAF Office of Special Investigations (OSI)
- The 1952 Passaic photographs (attributed to George J. Stock) were significant enough for ATIC to request the FBI vet the photographer's and witness's reliability and authenticate the photos - a rare instance of active investigation rather than passive logging.
- Across the New Jersey reports a recurring object morphology appears: cylindrical/cigar/bullet-shaped silver craft, often finned or with delta wings but no conventional wings, leaving vapor trails and making little or no sound.
- A complainant (Mrs. Goarcke) asserted that UFOs could be used to photograph strategic installations such as Boulder Dam, tying the claim to a 1939 art teacher she described as sympathetic to communism.
- The file consistently shows FBI Newark taking no investigative action on citizen UFO reports, merely recording them and referring them to the Air Force / OSI.
- The case file incongruously incorporates a large run of 1966 national newspaper clippings and flying-saucer-club (AFSCA) contactee-convention literature alongside the official memoranda.
- Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC), Wright-Patterson AFB - 1952 UFO photograph analysis
- USAF Office of Special Investigations (OSI) UFO reporting channel
- Project BLUE BOOK / USAF UFO investigations
- George Stock / Passaic, New Jersey 1952 UFO photographs
- Other FBI field office UAP case files in this corpus
- 1966 Wanaque, N.J. reservoir UFO sightings
- Ravenna, Ohio 1966 Dale Spaur UFO chase and J. Allen Hynek 'swamp gas' explanation
Large 66-page scanned FBI case file with very uneven OCR; page 3 failed OCR entirely (Tesseract timeout) and many handwritten case-file pages and 1966 newspaper-clipping pages are heavily garbled. Spans roughly 1952-1961 in the office memoranda plus 1966 newspaper clippings. Person and incident page numbers reflect first legible mention. Some witness/caller names, addresses, and phone numbers are partially illegible or withheld in the memoranda, though the manifest marks the record as not redacted.
Questions & answers
When did the sighting take place?
On the afternoon of November 5, 1957.
Did anyone identify the object?
No. The report records the sighting but does not identify the object.
Did the family hear an engine noise?
The second time, they thought they heard an engine noise, but could not tell whether it came from the object.